The Story Before The Story
by Siriusgrl88
Summary: Aurora, Lily, Pippa, and the Marauders are in their last year at Hogwarts. Aurora's biggest secret is that her uncle is Lord Voldemort. Follow Aurora and her friends through their last year at Hogwarts and the lives they lead after Hogwarts.
1. Lily Evans is Cruel

Disclaimer: Ok, well, obviously James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Lily Evans don't belong to me; they belong to JK Rowling. Now, any characters that you've seen in the books belong to her and I am just using them here because it wouldn't be called a fanfiction without at least one of them in it. I will not be repeating this for every chapter; it gets a bit repetitive and I think people can pretty much assume that I'm not JK Rowling. Oh and Rupert Lupin and Laura Lupin are also © Jo Rowling, though she never named them in the books (they are Remus' parents; I just gave them names).

Now onto the disclaimer that I will be putting up in every chapter: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Conri Carmine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though).

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

James Potter ran his hand nervously through his hair, messing up his already disastrous looking mop. James always had high confidence and a high opinion of himself, except when it came to her. Lily Evans; the one girl he wanted, and the only girl who didn't want him. He took a deep breath and then walked across the Gryffindor common room towards her chair by the fireplace.

"Evans, could I have a word with you?"

"I'm not going to the dance with you, Potter," she said coldly, without looking up from her book. His heart sank but his ego fell even lower.

"Haha," he forced a laugh, "that isn't what I was going to ask you, Evans. In fact, I already have a date for the dance," he lied, and she knew it. She closed her book with a snap.

"Who are you going with? Black? He'd look lovely in women's dress robes!"

"Are you jealous that I've got myself a date, Evans?"

"No, I know you're-"

The door of the seventh year boys dormitory flew open and two teenage boys appeared on the staircase. One was pulling the other along behind him by the neck of his robes. The boy being dragged was digging frantically inside his pocket while yelling at his captor. "SIRIUS LET GO! CUT THIS OUT NOW! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

"Shut up, Remus! I'm doing you a favor," Sirius said loudly, shaking his long black hair out of his face.

Remus pulled out his wand. "Expelliarmus," Sirius said lazily as Remus' wand soared high into the air and then fell at the bottom of the staircase, skittering across the stone floor. They reached the bottom of the stair case, Sirius still dragging Remus. "Sirius I'll kill you! I swear!"

"Ladies of the noble house of Godric Gryffindor!" Sirius shouted, with no inconvenience from his friend. "Our dear, handsome Remus Lupin is looking for a date for the dance this weekend!" The common room fell silent except for the giggling of a group of first year girls.

"Anyone interested?" Sirius asked loudly.

A third year girl was being pushed forward by her friends. She was blushing  
furiously. "Stop it," she whispered to them as she fought to get back. Another girl, a fifth year, who had her fist clenched and a determined look on her face took a step forward then seemed to lose her nerve and stepped back again. Remus didn't notice any of this; he simply stood there, staring at his feet.

Then Lily stood up. "I'd like to go with you, Remus."

Remus jumped and looked up at her, then at James. James looked like he would have enjoyed hexing Remus into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I...I...Well...I..." he stammered.

"Potter will get over it," she said stiffly.

"Err...sure...yeah...okay," Remus looked terrified.

"Excellent," Lily said, her eyes lingered on James' angry expression for a moment. She seemed to enjoy the look of pure fury on his face. She smiled at Remus and headed up the staircase to the girls dormitory.

The next day was gloomy, matching James mood perfectly. His best friend joined him at the lunch table, patting him on the back.

"Sorry, James. If I had known that you were going to ask Eva- "

"You knew, Sirius."

"Well, yeah, I knew but I didn't know she was going to step up!" James just scoffed and looked down at his macaroni salad, which he was playing with using his fork. Sirius sighed and looked away as well. "Maybe I can talk to Evans and convince her to go with you"

"Good luck. I think it would be easier to give a pixie a kiss than to convince Evans to go to the dance with me." James didn't sound anything like himself, and it bothered Sirius. He had to do something. Just as he was thinking up a plan, his girl, or the girl he wished would be his, sat down with her friends at the Ravenclaw table. She turned back to talk to Lily Evans, the girl of all controversy in James life, catching Sirius' eye. She sent him a nasty glare and then smiled sweetly for her best friend. They whispered to each other, giggling as they broke apart to eat some lunch.

As Sirius gazed at the raven haired, blue-eyed beauty, Remus sat down across from him, blocking his view. Sirius scowled and frowned at Remus, who in turn, turned back to see what he did wrong. When he saw Aurora Clementine Badeau, he realized what he did and scooted over a bit, so now he was sitting in front of James. James didn't even look at him. Remus swallowed hard and looked down at his plate before speaking to James.

"James. I'm sorry about Lily; I didn't know what to do!"

"Right."

"James, I'm serious."

"No, I'm Sirius," Sirius remarked with a playful grin. Remus just rolled his eyes.

"James if you want me to, I'll tell Lily that I changed my mind." Remus sounded completely sincere and as James looked up at him, he felt guilty. He shook his head, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Remus. Just go with Lily to the dance. I'll find someone else." Remus looked stunned at what James had said. I thought he wanted to behead me last night and now he's ok with it? I wonder if he's running a fever. Sirius even said something about James sudden change in mind.

"Wow…Guess Evans was right. He did get over it."  
James just gave Sirius a glare. Sirius shrugged with a nervous smirk. James punched him in the arm and the three began to eat their lunch, grinning slightly at each other.


	2. DADA

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Defense Against the Dark Arts; by far James' and Sirius' favorite subject out of all of their eight classes. They joined the throng of 7th year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws and as they did so, James noticed that Lily was with Rebecca Prewett, a short, thin, orange haired, dark eyed Gryffindor girl; she was Molly Weasley's (nee Prewett) younger sister. The two girls were talking when Aurora Badeau, Siriuis' crush, joined them. The three girls chattered with each other, talking about who asked out whom or who was wearing what to the dance.

They were interrupted when the door to the classroom opened. Everyone filed in. Aurora and Sirius bumped into each other by accident, their eyes locking. For a brief second, Sirius could have sworn that she gave him a small, friendly smile but then she was gone, being pulled off to the left side of the room by Lily. He frowned but joined the boys at the right side of the room.

Professor Markis began his little speech about what they would be doing that day. How to strip an offensive object. Wonderful.

"Now, today I will not allow you to pair up on your own. I believe it's a time for change. I will only pair the ladies with the gentlemen. Now, let's see…Aurora, you will be paired with Sirius."

Aurora and Sirius immediately locked eyes. She looked stunned and a bit uncomfortable. Sirius gulped as James gave him a little nudge in his ribs, a sly smirk playing upon his lips. The professor went on with the list, pairing Alice Turner with Frank Longbottom and Remus with Molly Prewett. Lily was paired with Peter Pettigrew, much to James' dismay. James was stuck with Brooke Helburger, a girl who had stringy yellow hair, grey eyes, and a nasty case of acne.

Everyone stood up in a collective sound of fumbling and scrapping of paper and screeching of chairs against the stone floors. Aurora slowly made her way to Sirius, looking a bit nervous and pale. She sat down, collecting herself quickly. The nervous, pale look left immediately, replaced with a stony look of indifference. She pulled her wand out and put her book back in her bag.

"No talking to me. Just do the assignment," she said quickly and under her breath. Sirius blinked and then glared at her. As she went to grab the object that she had to jinx for him to un-jinx, he grabbed her wrist, startling her. Her confused crystal blue eyes found his dark grey ones.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"I never said I hate- "

"You treat me like you hate me. You look at me like you hate me. You talk to me like you hate me. So I'll ask you again; why do you hate me?" He was angry, she could tell. His eyes were too dark, the way they got when he was around Severus Snape or Lucius Malfoy or Bellatrix, his cousin, or his younger brother, Regulus. She tried to pull her wrist from his grasp, but his hand only tightened around it. She winced a little as some of her skin twisted under his grip. He loosened his hold and she took advantage of this, yanking her wrist from his hand.

"I don't hate you, Sirius Black, but I sure as hell don't like you", she snapped, grabbing the tea cup that she was supposed to jinx. He looked livid with her. She put her wand out in front of her, pointing it at the tea cup. Then she cursed it silently. He blinked and looked confused.

"Aren't you supposed to tell me what kind of curse you put on-?"

"Figure it out on your own", she cut him off rudely. She sat back, crossing her arms under her chest, looking out the window to the right, just beyond him. She looked hurt more than angry, he noted. He sighed heavily. Great. Instead of pissing her off, I hurt her feelings. What am I going to do with you, Aurora? He thought to himself as he levitated the tea cup and then performed a simple test on it. It glowed red. Ok, it's one of two things. A skin-peeling curse or a skin-burning curse. She had to make it difficult. He sighed again and performed a charm on it.


	3. Pippa's Secret Revealed and Pippa's Idea

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley 

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

"Who are you going with, James?" Sirius asked over breakfast on Thursday morning.  
James shook his head and took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Haven't asked anyone yet."

"You do realize the dance is tomorrow night, right?" Remus asked, giving James a worried look.

"What!?" He seemed to have forgotten, his eyes wide with surprise.

"It's Thursday, James," squeaked little Peter Pettigrew. Sirius rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"You forgot? How could you forget?"

"Well…with Evans and all…"

"Alright…Let's see…" Sirius looked towards the ceiling, thinking.

The four went through the list of girls they knew.

"Marissa Applewhite?" asked Sirius.

"She's going with that Davey boy from Hufflepuff," Remus interjected.

"Damn...what about Cassandra Templeton?" Sirius put out. Peter looked thoughtful and then nodded his head, smiling.

"That Ravenclaw girl?" James questioned.

"Yeah…"

"She's already going with someone," said a girls' voice from behind Remus.

"How do you know, Pippa?" Remus asked his younger sister, looking up at her, his head bent back at an odd angle that looked like it hurt. "I thought you weren't talking to her since she jinxed your hair purple."

"I heard her and her friends squealing about it in the bathroom," she responded lazily as she waved her hand dismissively and took a seat next to Sirius.

"What about Danica Mirien? She's not going with anyone," suggested Pippa.

"There's a reason for that," mumbled Sirius, snickering under his breath as he looked over at the Hufflepuff table. Danica was nice enough but she wasn't a pretty sight to look at. Her long brown hair was dull and stringy, her face had a few nasty blemishes, and her eyes were a dull grey color; not to mention she was a bit over weight.

"Sirius, don't be mean. You never know, Danica could be quite the looker when she gets older," she answered coarsely.

"Aw, come on Pip! The girls the size of the Quiddich field!" His response from the younger girl was a hit on the shoulder. Sirius winced and rubbed the offended appendage.

"Why do you always hit me so hard?"

"Because half the time you deserve it. The other half is just for fun," she said, smirking playfully.

James and Peter laughed, while Remus buried his face in his book and remained silent.

"How 'bout you, Pip? Wanna save a friend in need?" asked James, sounding a bit desperate.

"You wouldn't be in need if you hadn't lied to Lily in the first place... and besides, I'm already going with someone," she said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, crossing her arms and looking smug.

Remus' head snapped up. "Who?"

"Never you mind." She answered a little too quickly for Remus' taste and he sent her a glare.

"I know who," Sirius piped up darkly.

"Who?" Remus' attention was now on Sirius, who looked even more smug than Pippa. Pippa gulped and glared at Sirius.

"Sirius, don't you-"

"I saw them snogging in an empty classroom last week."

"What?!" Remus turned to face his sister. Pippa turned a bright shade of red.

"And our sweet little Pippie had her shirt un-"

"Silencio," Pippa interrupted.

Sirius' mouth continued moving but no sound came out so he resorted to making a series of movements with his hands, none of which made any sense but gave the general impression of some sort of sexual act. Pippa thought it would have been better to go with the spoken version but did not release Sirius from her spell. He glanced at her in amusement. Remus was standing up now glaring at his sister from across the table.

"Who?" Remus asked again, his fists clenched at his sides and his eye was twitching.

Sirius took the syrup container and wrote out "Snape" on his pancake. Peter and James looked disgusted, James even going as far as to gag on his sausage. Remus looked shocked and Sirius looked quite pleased with himself.

"Snivellus?" James asked in disgust after he was finally able to swallow the piece of sausage, looking as though he may throw up.

"No," Remus said simply.

"Excuse me?" Pippa glared up at him.

"No, you're not going with him. I don't ever want to see you around him! He's into the dark arts! He's probably a death eater for all you know!"

"Shut UP Remus," Pippa was turning a darker shade of crimson. People were beginning to stare now, even her friends.

Remus lowered his voice "Pippa...I'll write to Mum."

"Oh, THAT'S mature," she replied, stabbing at her eggs angrily with her fork.

"I will!"

She made a rude hand gesture at her brother and stood up, smacking Sirius in the head with her book-bag as she turned to walk over to the Ravenclaw table.

"I take it he found out about Severus?" asked Aurora as Pippa approached. Pippa grunted and sat down next to her friend, looking entirely put out. Aurora looked back at Remus and shook her head, knowing he saw her.

* * *

James was still dateless by the time Friday rolled around. He and Sirius had asked many girls but no one would go with them. Most had dates and others said they just wanted to go with their friends. Sirius hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask Aurora to the dance, knowing full well no one had asked her yet. Remus was still furious about his sister and Severus. He had been slamming things around until three in the morning, when Sirius snapped at him to shut up and go to bed.

"I'll just fake sick," James said as he changed into his robes. Just as he was slipping it over his head, the dormitory door flew open and Pippa skipped in, a gleeful smile plastered on her pretty face.

"Good morning, boys," she chirped happily.

Peter squealed and hid behind his bed curtains. "Pippa, you're not supposed to be in here!" Remus, who had jumped into his bed at the last second because he wasn't even close to being dressed, exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Remus," Pippa snapped, then turned to James, happy as can be.

"James, I found a date for you."

"Who?" he asked, hoping for a decent looking girl.

"Aurora," she said in a sing-song voice, smiling sweetly. Sirius dropped his glass of water, his eyes bulging and his jaw open as the glass shattered, making Peter squeak again.

"Sirius, you'll catch more flies than girls if you keep your mouth open like that," she remarked smartly. Sirius' jaw snapped shut with an audible click, but his eyes were still very large.

"That's Lily's best friend…Why-wh-why would she want to go with me?"

"Don't worry about it, James; just go with her, okay?" She left the room and Peter came out from behind the curtains, his own eyes large with fright.

"She's crazy!" He squeaked as Remus went to lock the door.


	4. Right Before The Ball

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Sirius wouldn't talk to James for the rest of the day. They had every class together and were even partnered up twice, but still he wouldn't talk. James knew it was because of Aurora. He felt bad about it but what was he supposed to do? He couldn't just tell her that he wasn't going to go with her; he knew Sirius would never ask her himself. At least if he took her, Sirius could take her from him.

Their classes went by slowly but they weren't happy when they were over. James still felt awkward about his situation. Why were girls so difficult? This thought plagued him all day. He was dressing for the dance when Remus came in, fully dressed in his dress robes. He looked dashing in his beige dress robes and white vest, with a matching cummerbund. His lapels were a dark blue, making him stand out a bit more. James smiled and shook his head. For someone who didn't like to be noticed, he wore strange things. Remus looked down at himself and then back at James.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Nothing," James responded and looked down at himself. He liked how his lime green vest stood out sharply against the navy blue of his dress robes. He smirked. He was unlike Remus in almost everyway. While Remus was quietly intense, a bit of a book worm, and pretty low-key, James was bold, charming, loud, and sometimes obnoxious. Peter walked in behind Remus, Sirius following. James and Sirius looked at each other and both frowned.

"Would you two just get over this? So what; Lily's going with me and Aurora is going with James. It's no ones fault but the girls," Remus said logically. Peter nodded in silent agreement. He and Remus looked at James, then at Sirius, then at James again. James kept looking at Sirius, waiting. Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes.

"He's right…Aurora agreed to go with you to spite me. And Lily agreed to go with Remus to spite you. It's their fault…."A sly grin began to creep upon his handsome face as a wicked plot formed in his head. "James, how about we have some fun with them, eh?" He walked to his friend and wrapped an arm around James' shoulders. James got the idea and his smirk returned.

"What do you have in mind, my friend?"

"Oh well…you see, we can't just let them get their ways. They have to pay."

"Oh crap…"Remus closed his eyes and covered them with his hand, shaking his head. Peter looked a bit frightened. Sirius' grin grew even more, if possible, as he spoke of his plan.

* * *

Aurora looked over herself in her body length mirror. She smoothed the front of her bright turquoise strapless dress. It clung to her curvy body sweetly but was loose enough so it didn't constrict her movement. Her father had gotten it for her. She smiled as she thought about her parents.

Everyone said she looked just like her mother but had her father's raven black hair. She had her mother's lovely, beautiful features and body shape. Her eyes matched her mother's exactly, even down to the little brown fleck on the bottom left side of their right eye. Her lips were a bit fuller than her mother's, she had a thin nose that turned up slightly at the end, and her complexion was a bit rosier.

Aurora knew what side of her mother's family that she took after. It wasn't her deceased grandmother, whom she knew wasn't a looker at all, but it was her grandfather, who was a Muggle and had no magical bone in his body. Her mother's father was a handsome young man who had died young. His name was Tom Riddle.

Aurora frowned. She hated knowing that she was related to Voldemort. No one knew except Dumbledore and the teachers. Her mother and her uncle went to school at the same time, having been born fraternal twins. But while Tom Jr. went to Slytherin House, Aurora's mother, Alicia, went to Ravenclaw House. Aurora shook her head, dismissing the thought of her uncle's blood running through her own veins. She instead forced herself to think of her father.

Aberto Adriano Badeau was a tall, handsome man with thick, short raven black hair and dark blue eyes. His smile was wide and charming; his eyes held within them a knowing and understanding look as well as a mischievous twinkle at times. His skin was tan from living in Spain and Italy his whole life.

As it were, her parents were in Italy right now, enjoying the warm sun and sandy beaches. Aurora pouted, wishing she could be there. But her parents needed a second honeymoon. Aurora just hoped that it didn't result in more babies. She already had two older brothers and three younger sisters.

Aurora missed her family but not just because she was home-sick. She had a bad feeling and she knew her mother had it too. They were often told that they shared a certain wave-length, like their minds were connected in some way. Whenever Aurora used to get sick, Alicia was sick as well. Whenever Aurora felt like something bad was going to happen, Alicia was right next to her, agreeing whole-heartedly. And every time they had a bad feeling, something bad did happen.

Aurora felt as if something horrible was going to happen to her family. What, she didn't know exactly. She had a feeling the reason why Alicia insisted on a vacation just for her and Aberto was to protect Holly, Nicola, and Italia. It was as if Alicia knew that something was going to happen to her and Aberto. Aurora's stomach gave a jolt and she sat down quickly, feeling suddenly dizzy. She placed a hand over her stomach and closed her eyes. She wasn't feeling well.

Just then, Nikita walked in, her pollen yellow dress on and her long blonde hair up in a pretty bun decorated with yellow daisies. She looked concerned as she gazed upon Aurora.

"'Urora? I' somting 'rong?" Nikita struggled with her thick accent. Aurora nodded, faking a smile at the sweet Russian girl.

"No, Nikita. I just got a little dizzy, is all," she answered kindly, waving her hand at the girl. Nikita gave her an unsure smile, grabbed her purse and left again. Aurora took a few deep breaths and finally stood again. She smoothed out her silk dress once more, grabbed her matching purse, and left the room. As she headed down the stairs of the 7th year girls' dormitory, Aurora thought about her parents and her feeling.

As she left the Ravenclaw dormitories, Aurora stopped to collect herself. She couldn't get back at Sirius Black acting like this. She had to put on an act to make him jealous. She knew that, by agreeing with Pippa to go with James to the dance, she would anger Sirius.

She looked to her left and saw Pippa leaning against the stone wall next to Ravenclaw's large crest. She noticed her hot pink slinky gown that she wore and Aurora shook her head, giggling. No doubt this was a way of rebelling from Pippa towards her brother.

Pippa looked up at her and smirked. She stood away from the wall and sauntered towards the stairs, moving her hips in a way that had to be sinful. Aurora laughed out loud this time. Pippa looked back at her from over her shoulder with a wicked smirk.

"What? A girl's got to look good, right?"

"Yes, but seriously, Pip…don't you think that's a little overboard?"

"How so," Pippa asked her, turning to Aurora fully, putting a look of feigned hurt on her face.

"Do you really think that Remus deserves to be tortured like this?"

"He got mad at me for dating a guy from Slytherin, Aurora," Pippa replied coolly.

"Yes, but don't you think this is a bit harsh? I mean, it's going to be hard enough for him to see you with him. Personally, the dress is a bit overkill to me." Aurora responded as she walked towards the stairs.

"That's your opinion. Mine's completely different. He does deserve this. I hope he squirms," Pippa commented with a wicked glint in her hazel eyes. She pushed a lock of stubborn, dirty blonde hair behind her ear and then applied some glittery pink gloss to her lips. Aurora sighed and rolled her eyes as she finally took a step onto the staircase. It moved immediately, almost catching Aurora and Pippa off guard. They both grabbed the banister and giggled at each other.

"Surely you don't want Sirius and James looking at you that way?"

"Ew…Only you, Aurora," Pippa remarked with a disgusted look. The two boys were too much like her older brothers.

"I know…" Aurora giggled and smoothed a hand over her pulled up hair. "So…Are we meeting Lily there?"

"Yes. She'll be with Remus, like she promised."

"I don't know why she and James don't just tell each other how they feel. It's silly really," Aurora commented as she applied her own lip gloss.

"And what you and Sirius do isn't?" Pippa shot her a sly glare. Aurora blushed and glared back at her.

"He isn't as easy to get along with as you think, Pippie."

"Do stop calling me that…It's childish…"

"I swear, Pippa…you sound almost like Bellatrix and Narcissa sometimes."

Pippa shot her a nasty look but dropped the subject.

"Let's just meet up with our dates, shall we?"

"Sounds fine to me," Aurora answered as she looked down at James as the staircase connected to the final floor. He looked nervous. She caught sight of Sirius in the shadows near the doors to the Great Hall. She saw the astonished look on his face when he saw her and she smirked. Good. Just the affect I wanted, she thought smugly. James took her hand and gently helped her off the staircase, just as Pippa jumped off, walking to Severus and grabbing his arm, yanking him after her towards the Great Hall.

"You look beautiful, Aurora," James told her, catching her attention again. She looked up into his brown eyes and smiled sweetly.

"Why, thank you, James. You look quite dashing yourself." He smiled at her in response before he gently led her away towards the Great Hall. As they passed Sirius, Aurora glanced at him, a sly look in her eyes. But soon the doors opened and the music that was already playing filtered out. She looked into the extravagant room and was awed by it. She would enjoy this night, she just knew it.


	5. The Ball

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

As soon as Aurora stepped into the hall, she saw Pippa, Snape, and Remus going at it, though it was really Remus and Snape having the row while Pippa tried fruitlessly to stop the argument. Aurora rolled her eyes and looked over at Lily, who caught her eye and shrugged. She was dressed in a knee-high emerald green tube dress that clung to her torso and flared gently at her hips. She clutched a matching purse to her stomach as she tapped one of her black, high-heeled feet against the floor.

She rolled her eyes so Aurora would know just how much fun she was really having. Aurora smirked and suppressed a giggle before gasping. She had felt a sudden tug at the back of her dress and stopped to turn and look at what happened. Sirius stood behind her, shrugging.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to step on your dress…You seem to walk to slow for me, Badeau," he said nonchalantly, not meaning a word. He walked off, Aurora following him with her eyes. She knew he did it on purpose but she silently told herself that she wouldn't let him get to her tonight. Tonight, she was going to get to him. Her eyes hardened with new resolve and she marched off with James to a table; a table in which she shared with Pippa, Sirius, Peter, Lily, Remus, James, and Severus.

Severus looked very distant and like he didn't want to be at the table. The girls made sure that the boys were all separated from Severus. James and Sirius had a nasty habit for playing foul tricks on Severus while in large crowds.

Aurora ignored Sirius and sat down after James pulled out her seat for her. And that is where she remained for most of the dance. James told her that he wasn't much of a slow dancer and most of the songs were slow ones so they would wait until a fast song came on to get up onto the dance floor. Pippa on the other hand was on the dance floor with Severus the whole night; they couldn't stay away from each other or keep their hands off of each other which only infuriated Remus further.

Lily and Remus danced quite a few times as well and Aurora was getting almost insanely jealous as time crept by. Was James never going to dance a slow dance with her? She turned her glare to the boy in question and humphed when she saw that he was speaking with Sirius.

This is it…I'm done. I'm just going to leave now. She thought harshly. She stood, grabbing her purse and turned around…right into someone's broad, midnight blue clad chest. She looked up, startled and gasped, her purse clutched to her own chest.

"Mul-Mulciber…" She stammered and a red blush bloomed upon her cheeks as she looked away from Ewald Mulciber's face. "What do you want?" She recovered, her blush leaving her face. Her eyes were locked on his cold black ones. Mischievous, she noticed. His mischievous black eyes gazed down into her own.

"Dance with me, Badeau," he ordered as he took her purse and set it on the table before taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. As he turned her around in his strong arms, she caught a glimpse of James trying to keep Sirius in his seat but Mulciber had her attention once again.

"Badeau, I have a proposition for you."

"And that is?" She didn't like the sound of his voice when he said that.

"You and I will become an item."

"You've got to be joking. Ewald, I won't be your play thing. Now, I'm going to leave and you won't see me until Monday, _in class_," she started to pull away from him, very intent on being away from him but his grasp hardened on her hand and waist so she was trapped against him. She looked up at him, confused and angry. "Let me go---"

"Now, now, Badeau, you shall listen to me and pretend to be happy. Smile."

She refused and gave him a defiant look. He glared, his eyes becoming hard and his face turning to a scowl. "Don't make me use my wand on your lover boy over there," he gritted out maliciously. She paled slightly and looked over his shoulder and over at Sirius who still looked absolutely furious. She looked back at Ewald and feigned a smile.

"What's in it for me then, Ewald?"

"You? There's nothing in it for you. You pretend to be my girlfriend and Narcissa Black shall be eternally jealous. And before you say no, I want you to know that I know one of your biggest secrets," he cut her off just as she was about to say something. Her jaw clipped shut and she glared up at him.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Who's your uncle, Badeau," he asked, smirking devilishly. Aurora paled and she felt the familiar prick behind her eyes as tears began to form. She blinked them back and looked to the ground, her heart racing in her ears. How can he know?

"I over-heard some of the teachers speaking of you, Aurora," he answered her thought. "They were saying how terribly sad it was for you to be related to him. Sad? I think not. I would be delighted to be related to him."

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with loathing for him, her smile deceiving.

"Really now? Why don't you take my place? I certainly don't appreciate being related to that infamous fiend," she spat out rashly, receiving a hard squeeze from Mulciber, making the air leave her lungs in a gasp.

"Don't ever talk of the Dark Lord that way again," he hissed, squeezing her tighter, making her wince and make a small wail that only they could hear. They danced in silence after he made her promise to pretend to be his girlfriend until the song ended and then she was out of his arms and going to her purse. He followed her slowly, wanting Sirius to confront her first. And that's exactly what he did.

Aurora grabbed her purse, visibly upset. She was turning to leave when Sirius stood up and obscured her view of the doors. She looked up at him, trying not to cry and tell him what had just happened to her.

"What?" Her voice was a bit shaky and she swallowed to calm her nerves. Her eyes had darted away before she looked back up into his raging dark eyes.

"So, you have a thing for Slytherins now, huh?"

"Sirius---"

"You use my friend and then dance with_ him_?"

"Sirius, please, it's not what you think."

"Really? Then what is it, Aurora?" His tone was getting nastier and louder. She blushed; she could feel eyes on them.

"It's exactly how it looks, Black. Aurora is now my girlfriend. Do you have a problem with that?" Mulciber had just stepped up to Aurora's side, said girl immediately dropping her gaze to the stone floor. She saw Sirius' hands clench at his sides. She knew that Sirius despised Ewald Mulciber a great deal, almost as much as he despised Severus Snape.

"Yeah, I do have a problem with it, Ewald," he said with venom. Aurora shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath. He was going to explode, she just knew it and she was preparing herself. Without any warning, she felt cold juice soak the front of her dress. She looked up after gasping, looking at Sirius incredulously. Before she could react, he swung and caught Ewald in the jaw with his fist.

"Sirius!" She shrieked and bent down to help Mulciber up, not really realizing what she was doing. As soon as he was on his feet, an all out brawl started between the two. They fought for a few seconds, wrestling to the ground with each other before the teachers broke in and separated them. Aurora looked at Sirius and winced. His nose was bleeding and he had a bruise forming around his eye. It took all she had to not go to him and wipe his blood away. She bit her lower lip and then looked at Mulciber and saw that his lip was busted open and that he had a cut on his cheek and neck.

Lily went to her and gave her some napkins so she could try to clean up. Aurora was looking at Sirius again as Lily and Pippa where trying to clean her dress. The teachers berated the boys and then Professor Jordn and Professor Donree escorted them out. Aurora watched them leave, numb from what happened. Professor McGongall approached her and gently clasped her shoulder, grabbing her attention.

"You're a mess, dear. Why don't you go get yourself cleaned up?" Minerva was being sweet, speaking softly to her. She nodded and slowly left with Pippa and Lily. She still couldn't believe what had happened. And worst of all, she felt guilty. Guilty for hurting Sirius. She sniffled softly and tried to blink back her tears but as soon as all four girls entered the girls' bathroom, she sobbed and stood there as they helped clean her dress the best they could. She just wanted to go to bed and that's exactly what she did when they left the bathroom. Lily and Pippa gave her hugs before watching her walk herself to Ravenclaw house.

As soon as she walked into the 7th year girls dormitories, Aurora changed and then slid into her bed, sobbing herself to sleep.


	6. Cheers

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Aurora sighed heavily as she sat down at her desk that she shared with Lily for History of Magic. She could feel almost everyone staring at her but she didn't want to look around to confirm that fear. She just stared down at her open book. She felt terrible since the dance. Sirius hadn't looked at her for over a week and Mulciber was getting on her nerves. Any chance he got he was all over her. He'd even forced her to snog with him. An uncontrollable shiver traveled down her spine and she shook slightly, her eyes shutting tightly.

She jumped when she felt a delicate hand on her shoulder. She looked up in Lily's eyes and forced herself to smile softly, shaking her head to reassure her friend. Lily sat and pulled her book out of her book bag, along with her quill and a small bottle of ink, placing the ink bottle above her book and the quill perfectly aligned with the book. Aurora almost laughed. One thing about Lily that most people wouldn't expect was that she was a perfectionist and a bit OCD. Lily felt Aurora gazing at her and she looked up with an almost innocent look on her face.

"What? Do I have something on me?" Lily began to look at her shoulders and over them at her back.

"No, no…I just was thinking about how odd it was that you're a perfectionist…"Aurora answered softly. Lily gave her a wicked grin but quickly changed the subject.

"You know…Daniel WisperWood asked me to go with him to Hogsmeade…Do you think I should go with him?"

Daniel WisperWood was probably Andromeda Black's equal in sexuality. When Andromeda had attended Hogwarts only six years prior, she was the girl that every guy wanted (except her cousin, Sirius) and every girl hated or wanted to emulate (except for her younger sister Narcissa). Andromeda had been Lily, Pippa, and Aurora's friend when she was there. She had taken Aurora under her wing, having been in Ravenclaw and being a 7th year there. She didn't think that her protégé would be so cool to be around. The two formed a close bond and Andromeda became friends with Lily. The three were inseparable until Andromeda graduated in June of 1972, the end of Lily and Aurora's first year there.

She had light brown hair and soft green eyes that were wider and kinder than her older sister, Bellatrix's, and her younger sister, Narcissa's. She was slender and tall with "killer curves" and a "sexy walk" as the guys described her. She had kept in touch with Aurora and Lily for the last six years. She was married, had a 5 year old daughter, and was pregnant again this year. She had asked Lily to be the child's godmother and Lily had accepted with honor; Aurora was already Nymphadora's godmother.

Now Daniel was the typical handsome Slytherin Quidditch Keeper, with a thick, dark mane of hair, light, gorgeous eyes and tan skin with a body to die for. And he was also the cockiest bastard anyone would ever meet. He flaunted his sexuality by showing his arms off and giving every girl that passed that devilish grin of his. Every girl at school had a crush on him at one time or another and he dated almost all of them at one time or another.

"What an honor…"Aurora said, trying not to laugh. When Daniel asked a girl out, he expected her to say yes, and when she did, he'd date her for weeks until he got what he really wanted all along…to get under that girl's skirt. Lily shot her a glare.

"He's good looking."

"He's a user."

Lily didn't respond.

"Fine. Do as you wish," Aurora looked away and grimaced when she noticed that there were two guys standing on her side of the table. She looked up and saw Daniel WisperWood and Ewald Mulciber. She paled. "Ewald…What're you doing here?"

"Well, _my dear_, I have made plans with Daniel here. We are going with him and Lily to Madam Puddifoot's."

It was Lily's turn to pale, but, unlike her friend, Lily soon became quite pink from irritation.

"What?" Aurora finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "Lily hasn't given Daniel an answer yet…"

"Well, we have decided for her," Daniel replied smugly. That was clearly the wrong thing to say and Aurora closed her eyes. Lily wasn't good at taking orders; in fact, she was absolutely horrible at taking them unless it was from a teacher. Lily stood, slamming her book bag on the table, making the ink bottles jump and tip over, ink spilling everywhere. The noise was resounding, grabbing everyone's attention. Aurora jumped; she could feel all eyes on them. Aurora pulled her wand out and cleaned the mess up before it could do any damage.

"How dare you? Do you honestly think that making a decision _for me_ was going to get me to say yes to you? You are obviously off your rocker! Since when do you own me? Since when have I been _your woman_!? You delusional, chauvinistic pig! You better watch your back, WisperWood…especially in a hallway without your friends," she threatened harshly, gripping her wand so hard that her freckled knuckles where white as she pointed it at Daniel's chest. Daniel was flushed, his light eyes darting around the room. He finally looked at Lily again and glared before leaving the room, Ewald following angrily. Applause erupted behind them, every girl in the room smiling and nodding at Lily, who blushed and sat back down.

"Cheers…" Aurora replied. She caught the small grin on Lily's face and grinned herself.


	7. A Good and Very Bad Day

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Lily ended up on staying at Hogwarts that weekend, wanting to avoid Daniel WisperWood. Unfortunately for Aurora, she was stuck with a bunch of Slytherins that included Ewald and Daniel at Hogsmeade. Patti Richardson and her gaggle of Slytherin girlfriends sat at a table next to the boys' table. Rosemerta came and got the orders from their large group, Aurora only asking for water. She felt so alone amongst these miscreants. She watched them observantly. She made notes of their behavior towards one another.

These girls were far more gossipy than the ones of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. They had a dark edge to them; the boys seemed dangerous but Aurora had a feeling that it was the ladies of Slytherin that needed to be watched out for. They were sneaky and wicked. But together they almost seemed normal. Aurora almost began to hate them because now they seemed more human which she didn't want them to be. She wanted them to be these evil creatures that no one could really trust. Aurora looked away from all of them, her brows furrowing.

This wasn't good at all. She was starting to enjoy sitting with them and listening to them. They weren't stupid like many people assumed. They all had different points of view and some of the girls were actually nice. Aurora shut her eyes and sighed heavily. She heard the clanging of classes against the wooden table and looked up to see Rosemerta looking at her worriedly. Aurora smiled and took her glass of water and took a sip. Rosemerta placed her hand on Aurora's shoulder and motioned her to follow. Aurora looked at the rest of the group and saw that no one had noticed.

She stood quietly and quickly followed Rosemerta. Rosemerta led her away from all of the crowds and behind the bar. Aurora was silent as she followed Rosemerta down a dark hallway and into a little, cozy room that was dimly lit by the afternoon sun. Rosemerta motioned for her to sit down on the worn out orange sofa in the middle of the room. Aurora did and sipped at her water again. Rosemerta sat down across from her on the lounge chair; her arms resting on her slightly spread knees. She was looking at Aurora with a half disappointed half sympathetic expression that made Aurora want to squirm; instead she just looked away, studying the spotted carpet.

"What are you doing with all of them? I didn't see you as a Slytherin friend," Rosemerta finally spoke. Aurora's eyes snapped to hers, a hardness to them now.

"I'm not. Ewald is forcing me to-"

"Let me stop you there," Rosemerta interrupted, holding up a single index finger. Aurora shut her mouth and pouted a little. "Aurora, you have never been controlled by anyone before. You have preached in my pub more than once that you would never let anyone, man or woman, ever control you…" Aurora looked away again, looking very uncomfortable. She shifted on the sofa and made a disgruntled sound. "What does he have hanging over your head?"

At this, Aurora panicked. Her eyes snapped to the door and then to Rosemerta. Rosemerta saw the panic in Aurora's eyes and the color on her cheeks, confirming her suspicion. Rosemerta was about to say something else to her as she stood but Aurora stood quickly, mumbling something about having to leave and thank you for the water before she dashed out the door and then out of the pub. Rosemerta was slightly dumbfounded and surprised. Aurora was acting quite odd.

* * *

Aurora walked quickly from the Three Broomsticks and wrapped her arms around her midsection. She looked back and saw that Mulciber had come out to look for her. She hurried her pace, almost to a run, and hid in a narrow alley between Zonko's Joke Shop and Puddlemoot's Antiques and Things. She closed her eyes and rested the back of her head against the outer brick wall of Puddlemoot's. She sighed heavily and then squeezed her eyes together as she felt tears sting her lids. She sniffled and opened her eyes when she felt a presence next to her.

Aurora started when she saw Sirius gazing curiously at her. Her mouth dropped open as if she were going to say something but nothing came out of her mouth. She closed her mouth and gave herself a mental slap, collecting her thoughts.

"Sirius, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you out of the pub. Are you alright?" He sounded sincerely concerned and curious. Aurora blinked and gave him a bewildered look.

"I thought you were angry with me…"

"I am…" He sighed and looked away, out of the alley. She stayed quiet, knowing that he wasn't done talking. "Why him, Aurora? You can do so much better." He looked back at her, his eyes striking her soul. She gasped softly and looked away. I can't tell him…He'd really hate me.

"I can't…"She sighed heavily, her eyes closing as she faced him again. "I can't tell you, Sirius." She opened her eyes and saw the hurt in his. "It's not that I want to…I'd much rather be with _someone_ other than Ewald." She thought she was giving him a small hint but his grey eyes didn't tell her if he had gotten it or not. "He's despicable. But he…He's blackmailing me and no, I can't tell you what he's blackmailing me with."

"Why not? I know we're not really friends or anything but we've always been able to talk to each other and I've told you things that I've never told James," he confessed. Aurora looked at him in surprise.

"If I told you, you'd really hate me. It's…It's not something I can control or change, though I wish I could. It's just something that I'm ashamed of and appalled by….I'm sorry, Sirius, but I ca--" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt his hands on the sides of her face and then his lips pressing gently against hers. She gasped softly as her eyes widened and her hands came up to grab his cloak, fisting in the front of it. She slowly closed her eyes and hesitantly responded to him, leaning into him softly. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him, breaking the kiss. He buried his nose in her hair and closed his eyes.

"Trust me, Aurora," he whispered softly against her neck, his warm breath feather light. She gulped and pushed away from him, running pass him and out into the cobblestone street. Sirius blinked and watched her go, a few seconds going by before he responded. He exited the alley and jogged after her until the crowd of teachers, students, and townsfolk combined prevented him from going any farther. He called after her a couple of times before he gave up, his shoulders slumping forward, a dejected look on his face. What is she keeping from me? I'll have to ask Lily and Pippa. And Andromeda too. Andromeda may know and if she does, she will definitely tell me. He turned on his heel and went back to the pub to retrieve James, Remus, and Peter.

He didn't see a pretty Gryffindor girl standing with her back against the outside wall of Zonko's Joke Shop. Her hazel eyes had caught the encounter and she smiled slyly. Pippa had a feeling that Sirius and Aurora were about to become something much more fun than being "just friends". She played with the bottom of her scarf and then walked in the opposite direction of Sirius. She had a date to get to with Severus.

* * *

Aurora hurried away, heading for the school. Her mind was swimming and she felt slightly dizzy as she ran towards the exit of the little town. She had to sneak by a couple of teachers and then walked hurriedly the rest of the way to the school. She walked into the entrance hall, her eyes looking around for Apollyon Pringle, the current caretaker.

When she didn't see him, she leisurely walked into the school and all the way up to the Ravenclaw House. She came to the great knob less door with the Ravenclaw crest on the front of it and waited for the question. Suddenly, the door spoke.

"What tree is most warmly clad?"

"A fir tree."

"Clever answer." The door swung open and Aurora walked in.

Thank God. She pulled her cloak off and draped it over her arm before she walked up to the girls' dormitory. She walked in and noticed that no one was there. Good… She sat on her bed, grabbing her journal from beneath the mattress and then she reached for her bag and pulled her ink and quill out. She wrote about the days events and then wrote 3 letters; one to her parents, one to her brother, Alfred, and one to her younger sisters, Holly, Nicola, and Italia. She then put her journal, ink, and quill away before taking the letters to the Owlery.

She walked slowly, being in no rush because she knew no one was following her. As she was rubbing her neck, feeling the tension and knots, she climbed the stairs to the Owlery and suddenly stopped. Before her was the man she despised, the very man whom was her biggest secret.

Voldemort stood before her in his liquid-like black cloak, a sly smile on his pale, greenish face. Aurora paled and took a step back, blinking hard. When she opened her eyes again, he was gone. Breathing hard, her eyes wide, she looked all around her. No one was near her. She slowly headed back up the steps and entered the Owlery. No one was there.

She felt a chill run down her spine and she turned but saw nothing. But she heard his laugh; that low, evil cackle. She closed her eyes and kneeled down, her hands against her temples as she grimaced and shivered. Stop! Get out of my head! Leave me be! The laughter continued and she felt a sudden pain in her spine and her head began to throb. NO! STOP IT!

She didn't realize she was screaming in pain, writhing on the floor as the intense, shooting and throbbing pain continued shooting up and down her spine and in her head. She didn't feel the cool, strong yet old fingers gently pull at her arms.

She didn't hear the voices above her, the concerned whispers and the cries of her friends. She didn't feel herself being lifted off of the cold cobblestone floor and being carried out of the Owlery. She couldn't see anything. She tried opening her eyes, but the pain was too intense. She was able to crack them open slightly once, her eyes watching as her letters fell from her weak hands and fluttered to the steps. She remembered crying out, screaming "NO!" before everything went black and she passed out.


	8. The Worst Kind of News

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Aurora groaned. She felt warm and comfortable yet she was having the worst migraine in the history of mankind. Her head throbbed powerfully in pain. She slowly cracked open her eyes and regretted it immediately. It was day light and the sun was beating down on the pristine white walls of the hospital wing. Wait…Hospital Wing? She dared to open her eyes again and sat up slowly. She was extremely sore; everywhere. She pushed her pillows up to support her back as she looked around the room groggily. The nine other beds were empty and she could hear Madam Pomfrey bustling around in her office.

Aurora racked her brain, trying to remember what happened to get her in the Hospital Wing. She reached up and gently rubbed her temples, trying to ease the pain. It felt as if someone had thrown a little rubber ball into her skull and shook her head to get the ball to bounce around. She remembered kissing Sirius and then running to the school. She remembered writing in her journal and then writing three letters. She remember walking to the Owlery and…seeing him. Her eyes snapped open. Voldemort singled her out through his mind. He attacked her mentally while she was at school. A wicked chill ran up her spine and she shivered. He had reached her here, the safest place in London.

She drew in a shaky breath and exhaled heavily.

"You're awake! Oh dear…" Aurora looked up as Madam Pomfrey hurried over to her, a concerned look on her face. She'd never seen Madam Pomfrey like this before. She was tough. It didn't matter if a student came in with a raging fever or a broken leg; she told them to suck it up and had them up and out of the Hospital Wing within a few days. She'd never seen Madam Pomfrey so concerned for a student before. Her brow furrowed in suspicion. "You had all of us worried."

"How long have I been in here?" Aurora was surprised that her voice was so rough and hoarse.

"Well…About three days," Madam Pomfrey responded. Aurora's eyes widened and she panicked.

"I've missed that many classes!? No, no, no! I can't miss that many classes! Oh God!" Aurora struggled against Madam Pomfrey's very strong grip. "Let go, old woman! I need to get to class," she snapped, her head throbbing worse. Madam Pomfrey huffed and pushed Aurora back onto the bed.

"Your homework is being taken care of. The teachers are giving you as much time as you need to make up everything." Aurora looked at her curiously when she said this.

"Why? Why am I so special? If it were anyone else, they'd have to make it all up within two days."

"Well…your predicament is a little worse then we all thought. And why would you complain about it?" Madam Pomfrey seemed nervous and agitated all of a sudden as she tried to change the subject. Aurora was becoming more suspicious by the second.

"What do you mean by that? Am I going insane or something? Am I dying?" Madam Pomfrey paled and squeaked before she hurried away. "Hey! Wait! Answer me!" Aurora called after her, looking very concerned and curious. She was met by silence. She waited a good fifteen minutes before she became very disturbed. She stood slowly, clutching her head as she ambled gently in the direction that Madam Pomfrey had gone. Just as she was reaching for the door handles separating her from Madam Pomfrey, they burst open and there stood before her what seemed like the entire staff of Hogwarts.

Dumbledore grabbed her shoulder gently and softly twirled her around and led her back to her bed. He pushed gently against her shoulder, making her plop down on her bed. She looked up at the Headmaster of the school, blinking curiously. He looked troubled and tired. Aurora looked over at Professor McGonagall, who just frowned sadly at her. She looked back at Dumbledore and watched as he dismissed the other professors and Madam Pomfrey. He looked grim all of a sudden, making Aurora feel very edgy and worried.

"Professor is something wrong?" she asked softly, wringing her hands in her lap. Her stomach was starting to make her sick. She had a terrible feeling that he was about to give her horrible news. Her beautiful eyes remained on him as he shifted slightly and finally looked at her, crystal blue eyes connecting with another pair of crystal blue eyes.

"Aurora…I'm…I have…"He sighed and looked down, shutting his eyes. This is harder than I thought it would be. "Aurora…" He looked back up at her, tears brimming his eyes. Aurora was startled and jerked slightly at the sight. "Your parents were attacked three days ago."

Aurora sucked in a shaky breath, her own eyes filling with tears. She blinked them away, trying to reassure herself that they were ok and just at St. Mungo's. "They're ok though. They're fine…Right?"

He shook his head, a single tear falling from one of his eyes. She watched that tear slowly trek its way down his old, wrinkled cheek. "No, Aurora. They're not ok. Voldemort…he…he killed your father," Aurora choked on a sob and buried her face in her hands as he continued on. "Your mother is at St. Mungo's. They have informed me that she was tortured to insanity and is now in a vegetative state…I'm so sorry, Aurora."

He reached out and gently grasped her shoulder. She was trembling and sobbing hard now. He stood and sat down next to her, wrapping his left arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side. She buried her face in his robes, tears soaking the soft blue velvet. She shook against him, heart-wrenching sobs echoing throughout the hospital wing. He held her for a long while, rubbing and patting her back soothingly until she finally passed out from all of her exhausting crying.


	9. The Funeral

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley 

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Lily walked into the Hospital Wing with Andromeda and Pippa. All three carried cards from everyone in their year from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. They looked at Aurora as they quietly approached her. Her back was towards them but they knew she was awake. They placed the cards around her bed and then sat down on the bed across from her. Lily sighed heavily.

Aurora had been crying ever since she found out about her parents, four days prior. Her eyes were blood-shot and puffy, her nose was pink at the tip and her cheeks were still wet with her tears. She hadn't eaten in days and it showed; she was becoming very thin and pale. If it weren't for the puffy pinkness of her eyes, anyone could have seen that she had very dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Andromeda was the first to speak today.

"Get your arse up. You're making me entirely too depressed and you know I don't like that feeling. I'm sorry about your loss, Aurora, but you have to move on and be strong for your younger sisters," she snapped slightly. Aurora's eyes moved to Andromeda, glaring at her. "Yeah, you heard me. Suck it up, you big baby."

Lily was about to say something but Pippa stopped her silently by placing her hand gently on Lily's arm. Lily stopped and then looked at Pippa. Pippa gave her a look saying 'just watch Andromeda work'. Lily looked back at Andromeda and watched as the two very stubborn girls faced off. Aurora was silent but her eyes would have killed if they could. Andromeda had a look of pure determination on her face and in her eyes.

"I said get up." Aurora shook her head at Andromeda and rolled over. Andromeda turned very red and Lily thought she was going to scream. Instead she hit Aurora's shoulder with a muffin. Aurora turned so quick, Lily thought she might have given herself whiplash.

"What the hell was that for!?" Aurora was furious and glared daggers at Andromeda but Andromeda stood her ground.

"Get up, damn it!" She snapped back. "Aurora, listen to me. We're your friends and we are your supporters. We know that you lost your father and that your mother is incapacitated, but you need to get your act together. If you continue with this, you'll flunk your last year of school. After all these years, do you really want to waste all of it? And what does that say to your younger sisters? Who does that leave them looking up to? Huh? You need to suck it up and turn the other cheek. You need to be the big sister now. You need to take care of those little girls because you know neither one of your brothers can. Al can't afford to take care of them and Tim has his own wife and kids to take care of. You need to step up. So get up!"

Aurora was silent and thoughtful the entire time Andromeda was talking. Lily, Andromeda, and Pippa waited and watched Aurora. Then, she slowly sat up and placed her delicate bare, white feet on the floor. She sniffled and then stood with Andromeda's help. Aurora looked at Andromeda and then hugged her taller friend around the neck. Andromeda, not used to such affection, hesitantly hugged her back.

"Thank you, Annie…" Aurora whispered softly to Andromeda and Andromeda smiled before she gently pushed her away.

"Get dressed. We'll wait for you out in the hall." With that the three girls left Aurora to get dressed. Madam Pomfrey brought her some of her clothes and smiled sadly at her before showing her to the bathroom. Aurora changed without looking in the mirror. After she had gotten everything on, she looked into the mirror to adjust her tie. She gasped at her appearance.

"I look so sick…" She touched her damp cheek and then started the water at the sink. She splashed her face a couple of times before she poked her head out of the bathroom. Madam Pomfrey stood next to the door and then handed her a bag of make up that Lily had brought for her. Aurora smile weakly and took the bag before returning her head to the bathroom. She fixed herself up nicely and then left the Hospital Wing with her three best friends.

'I couldn't ask for better friends…' She thought as she watched the three interact with each other. They hugged her and walked her to the Great Hall. When they got to the Great Hall's doors, everyone became very quiet and all eyes went to Aurora. She gulped and looked to Andromeda, Lily, and Pippa for reassurance. They all nodded at the same time and together, they all took the first step into the Great Hall. From that moment on, Aurora knew that those three women would never be far from her side.

* * *

The next day, Aurora was off to go to her father's funeral. All of her family, magical and muggle. Voldemort was there, hiding. No one knew that he was there except for Aurora. She felt his presence though and so did her older brothers Tim and Alfred. She noticed that Tim was acting strangely around Alfred and that Alfred was just acting strange. She blew it off as the death of their father that was affecting them.

Every five minutes, Aurora would look around the cemetery, looking for the bastard that had ripped her father from her life. About half an hour into the funeral, she saw him. He stood off to the far right, away from the group. He was wearing funeral robes and Aurora felt a flare of rage boil beneath the surface. Her eyes narrowed and she broke away from the group, lucky enough to have no one see her. She made a beeline towards him, her eyes set in a furious way upon him.

She stopped about five feet in front of him, her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched in anger. "What are you doing here? How _dare_ you come here?" She snapped, her eyes flashing. He smiled slightly at her, his hands clasped in front of him.

"What a tragedy, that which befell your parents," he ignored her angry questions. "You know, your mother could have prevented all of this."

"Oh? How so?" She asked venomously.

"She could have married a pure-blooded wizard and had children with him; she could have also joined my cause…"

"What cause? Death? That's all you do! You bring death to those who don't believe in your methods or the way you think!"

"Watch your tongue when you speak to me," he hissed, his blue eyes looking at her with such fury that she almost felt as if he were going to set her on fire.

"Leave…You have no right to be here, you monster!" She turned sharply on her heel and went back to the procession, where Tim reached out to her, his eyes hesitantly, but intently, watching Voldemort. Aurora took Italia's hand immediately and marched off with the young girl as Alfred and Tim kept watching Tom Riddle, the uncle that had destroyed their parents.

Every woman who left the cemetery was in tears, including Aurora. Poor little Italia had no idea what was going on and, as Aurora was holding her hand as they walked to the car that was going to take them to Kings Cross Station, Italia asked her what was going on. "Who did they put in the ground, Sissy?"

Aurora choked back a hard sob and squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. Italia didn't ask any more questions as Aurora and her grandmother and other sisters cried. Her grandfather was holding his wife as she sobbed, trying not to cry himself, while Aurora held Nicola, Italia, and Holly as Holly and Nicola cried and Italia remained quiet. Aurora didn't sob but she cried silently, a steady stream of tears leaking from both of her blue eyes. She had no idea that this would be the last time she would ever see her grandfather, Massimo, and her grandmother, Dolores.


	10. A New Way Of Life

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

The next few weeks were slow and devastating for Aurora and her family. Her youngest sisters were coming to live with her at Hogwarts soon due to the fact that, after Tim had picked them up, Voldemort went to their grandparents' house and killed the both of them. Then Tim told Dumbledore that he couldn't keep the girls; Dumbledore insisted that they come to Hogwarts. He told Aurora just the day before and now she sat at Hogsmeade Train Station, awaiting the arrival of her little sisters. Dumbledore sat beside her, humming a soft, cheery tune. Aurora was silent as she gazed out at the lake on the other side of tracks. The sun reflected off of it beautifully, making it look as if the sun's rays were dancing upon the water's surface.

Aurora wasn't with Dumbledore at the moment. True, she was sitting right next to the older man but her mind was somewhere else. She was remembering vacations with her parents when she was younger. They had spent every Christmas and summer together. That wouldn't be happening anymore; all thanks to one man…No, not a man; a monster. She thought with a scowl. If she were stronger, wiser, cleverer…she'd take him on. She'd kill him. She was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of revenge and hatred towards her uncle.

Dumbledore watched Aurora's face. He watched the wistful look of remembrance slide into a forlorn expression and then watched as the forlorn expression changed into a look of complete hatred. He reached out and gently grabbed Aurora's knee, his eyes still on her face. She blinked and then looked at him, her expression blank. His eyes told her that he knew what she was thinking and understood. Aurora flushed lightly and looked away, suddenly ashamed. Voldemort wanted her feel these things. He wanted her to hate him and he wanted her to want to avenge her parents. She couldn't let him get the best of her. She looked back out at the lake but soon heard the train approaching.

She stood with Dumbledore, smoothing her skirt and robes as they watched as the train pulled up slowly, grey smoke billowing out into the open air. The train stopped and the conductor popped his head out of his window to speak to Dumbledore. As the two old men spoke, Aurora scanned the cars, looking for her sisters as she walked slowly down the side of the train.

A few cars down, Holly, the oldest of the three younger girls, stepped off of the train and looked around until she spotted Aurora. Holly began to cry and yelled for Aurora, running for her. Aurora ran to her and caught her as she kneeled down to get to eye-level with Holly. She hugged her close and saw Nicola lead Italia out of the car over Holly's shoulder.

Nicola left Italia and ran to Holly and Aurora. Aurora hugged Nicola quickly and then went to Italia, kneeling down to her as well. Italia looked up at Aurora with those big, crystal blue eyes. Aurora grabbed her and held her to her chest and kissed the top of her golden head. Holly and Nicola hugged them and Aurora pulled them closer. They embraced each other for about a minute before Aurora pulled away and wiped Italia's tears from her beautiful cherub-like face.

"Hello, little Italia. Holly, you've gotten taller and tanner. You too, Nicola." Aurora commented to her sisters. Holly smiled slightly and Nicola just nodded. Nicola was now taller than Holly, even though she was eight years old to Holly's ten years old. Aurora and the girls turned to Dumbledore when he began to clap. Holly and Nicola looked up at him in awe and Italia giggled. She walked up to him and gave his long, floor-length beard a tug.

"Italia, you don't do that to just anyone," Holly scolded her. Italia pouted and looked up at a chuckling Dumbledore, who stooped down and picked her up.

"You have an adorable little sister, Aurora," he stated as Italia began playing with his beard and hat. Aurora nodded and laughed when Italia took Dumbledore's half-moon glasses and put them on her face, her big eyes blinking out at Aurora as the little three year old giggled. "Shall we go then?"

Aurora nodded, knowing that their luggage was already at the school. She let Dumbledore carry Italia as they walked back to the school. Nicola stayed by Aurora's side, clutching her hand desperately. Holly stayed close but her eyes wandered around the town and other scenery on the way to the school.

It didn't take long for them to reach the school grounds and as they approached the doors leading to the entrance hall, Dumbledore began to lecture Holly and Nicola, telling them what was against school rules and what places were forbidden for students and for them. Holly and Nicola paid appt attention to Dumbledore, nodding and saying 'yes, sir' or 'no, sir'. Aurora became very proud of these young girls and smiled at them.

As they came closer to the doors, they opened and the students of Hogwarts came streaming out to relax for the day. Though it was a bit nippy, as winter wasn't far off, many students pulled their cloaks off and began to run around. Many stared as they walked by, whispering and pointing at them. Holly looked a bit confused and Nicola became slightly scared, gripping Aurora's robes tightly.

Aurora patted her head gently and smiled down at her. "Don't worry. They won't hurt you, Nicola." Nicola nodded up at her and loosened her death grip on Aurora's robes. Pippa and Lily came up to them and Aurora smiled at them. Lily took Holly's hand and struck up a conversation with the girl as they entered the school. Pippa took Nicola and started trying to coax her out of her shell. Aurora and Dumbledore stopped and Aurora turned to him. She smiled slightly and took the now sleeping Italia from Dumbledore's arms. Italia handed his glasses back to him and he smiled at her as he took them and put them back on.

He shook his arms, massaging one old bicep as he grinned at her. "I'm afraid I'm not accustomed to holding young children anymore," he joked and Aurora giggled.

"Thank you for giving them shelter, Professor. I really appreciate it. You didn't have to offer anything and you've given them a new life and a new home. I'm forever in your deb--" He waved a hand dismissively, shaking his head. She watched his beard glimmer in the sun light and then looked at his kind old face which was beaming just as brightly as the sun.

"You are never in my debt, Aurora. I owed your mother. I am repaying her now." Before she could ask him what her mother had done for him, he walked up the steps of the castle, his wrinkly hands holding his robes above his ankles so he wouldn't trip. Aurora watched him go, a slow smile growing on her face. She had a feeling she'd never know what her mother had done for Dumbledore that caused him to repay her. Aurora may have been stubborn and strong willed, maybe even nosy at times, but she knew when to stop asking questions and just be damn grateful. She looked down to watch where she was stepping so she wouldn't trip while holding Italia. She climbed the steps and entered the castle, thinking to herself. This is going to be a very interesting year now…


	11. The Worst Secret Revealed

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Silence; the entire room was completely silent except for the scratching of quills on dry paper; another quiz from Professor Binns. This was the fourth one that month. He said it was to prepare them for their final exams, more than four months away. Lily glanced out the window. Snow was falling already. It was a week before Christmas break and the tension in the school could be cut with a warm butter knife. She couldn't believe that it had only been two months since Aurora's father's death and a month and a half since her grandparents' deaths. And only one month since the girls had come to live here with Aurora. She looked over at said girl and frowned slightly. 

It seemed nothing was going right for her friend. First her parents were attacked; her father now dead and her mother might as well have been dead. Then her grandparents were killed and two weeks after that, she was left playing mommy to three young girls. Not to mention that Mulciber was being extremely cruel to her. More than once, Lily had caught a glimpse of a bruise here or there on Aurora. She tried talking to her about it but Aurora just waved her off, saying that it was from rough housing with the girls.

Aurora looked tired and worn out all of the time. She tried to cover it up with make-up but Lily saw right through it and so did Pippa. They had both expressed their worries but Aurora insisted that they were worrying for nothing. They learned to let it go but she still concerned them. She needed a desperate break from everything. Lily sighed and returned her attention to her quiz.

'Who created the Love Potion?

A. Laverne de Montmorency  
B. Claudine Florence Pewit

C. Didi Goria Horant

D. Hillard Dotard Linx

Um…Oh geez…I think it was…Laverne. Oh hell, it's Laverne for today.' Lily marked 'A' on the paper right before Professor Binns rang his little bell. Thank God. She sighed in relief and looked over at Aurora. She smiled and nodded. She did well too… The professor collected all of their quizzes and as soon as the bell rang, they were all up and out the door. Lily waited outside the door for Aurora, who had been at the front of the class room. She came out and the two walked down to the Great Hall for lunch.

Lily parted from her friend and sat down at Gryffindor table next to Pippa, grabbing a plate and filling it with tea sandwiches and some potato salad. She grabbed a goblet and filled it with pumpkin juice as she started a conversation with Rebecca Prewitt and Pippa. Lunch went by quickly and Lily caught up with Aurora for Potions.

When the bell rang, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw classes filed into the dungeon, with the Hufflepuff and Slytherin classes following close behind them. No one was exactly thrilled that today's potion class was extended. They went to their tables and some students began to pull their supplies from their bags. Professor Slughorn was already there, his pudgy face smiling at all of them.

"I have a new seating schedule for you all. And yes, everyone will be moving." The entire class collectively groaned, many students packing their things back into their bags. Slughorn must have been in the match-making mood because he sat everyone with whom he thought should be an item. Narcissa Black was placed with Ewald Mulciber; much to Aurora's delight and Ewald's. Ewald was grinning like an idiot to his friends before he composed himself and made his way over to his new desk. Lily was put with James; Sirius was placed with Aurora, and so on and so forth.

Aurora noticed that Lily was blushing furiously as James accidentally brushed the back of his hand against her breasts. He was apologizing profusely, his own cheeks as red as a tomato. Aurora giggled and unpacked her bag. Professor Slughorn began to go over the lesson and Aurora listened as she wrote notes. Then they began their assignment.

After a few minutes, Aurora became warm and took her robe off and rolled the sleeves of her sweater up. She was about to begin stirring the cauldron when Sirius reached out and grabbed her wrist, turning her arm over. His eyes were on a pair of bruises on the underside of her forearm.

"What's this from?" He asked as Aurora blushed.

"Nothing…I was just rough housing with the girls---"

"Yeah…The same damn excuse you gave Pippa when she asked you what your bruises were from," he interrupted, his eyes and tone of voice telling her he didn't believe a word coming out of her pretty little mouth. Aurora's jaw went slack and her eye brows furrowed close together in confusion and slight anger.

"She told you about this?!" She hissed under her breath. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, she did. She needed to vent to someone who wasn't a girl. Look, she's just looking out for you," he whispered as she snatched her wrist back and rolled her sleeves back down, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"I'm sure." She was pissed off. He grabbed her hands gently, catching her attention. He looked into her eyes and spoke softly.

"She's your friend. She'd never betray you. She didn't tell me it was you, but she said that it was her friend with a Slytherin boyfriend…"

"She might as well have just given you my name," she said a bit shrilly. Some people looked over at them, including Lily, James, Remus, Ewald, and Professor Slughorn.

"Shhhh!" Sirius scolded softly and squeezed her hands gently. "Is it him? Is it Ewald doing this to you?"

"Work, you two," Professor Slughorn said as he passed their table. Sirius let go of Aurora's hands and they both began on the potion again. But Sirius wasn't done talking to her.

"Did he hurt you?" He was met by silence. He looked at her and saw tears in her eyes as she tried to focus on the potion. He frowned and reached for her, gently grabbing her face to wipe away a couple of tears. She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her. "You're crying."

She sniffled and finally pulled away from him. "It's the potion. It makes people's eyes water," she half lied. True, it did make people's eyes water and tear but that wasn't the whole reason why she was crying and she had a feeling that he knew that she was fibbing.

He pressed on, gently grabbing her arm again. "Did Mulciber do this?" Aurora looked away at first but then looked back at him, nodding as she sniffled again. She saw rage flash in his grey eyes and he turned slowly, his eyes glaring daggers in Ewald's direction.

"Don't, Sirius. You'll get in trouble." She warned. Sirius smirked and looked back at her.

"Honey, Trouble's my middle name." And before she could stop him, he had stridden over to Mulciber and tapped him on the shoulder. Ewald looked up and was about to say something rude when Sirius connected his fist with Mulciber's face. Aurora shrieked at the same time Narcissa did and suddenly James was at Sirius' side along with Remus, trying to pull Sirius off of Mulciber. But Ewald didn't stay on the floor long and soon he was joined by his friends too.

Before any of them knew it, there was a full out fight happening. Slughorn could be heard yelling at them to stop but no one could really hear him. It was mainly Gryffindor and Slytherin buys fighting, but some Ravenclaw and Hufflupuff boys joined in too. Aurora was shocked at Sirius' behavior but even more shocked when Patti Richardson got into a cat fight with Lily. Aurora winced, feeling very sorry for poor Patti.

As Aurora looked on in slight horror, she saw Patti go down and then saw Lily pounce on her like a cat would a mouse. As Aurora looked around, she saw that many Gryffindor and Slytherin girls were fighting but hardly any Ravenclaw girls were and no Hufflepuff girls were.

Aurora suddenly felt a body collide into her, knocking the air from her lungs as she fell over onto the stone floor. It was another Ravenclaw girl who was being attacked by Milly Girsh, a very pretty and very vicious Slytherin girl. Aurora glared up at Milly and gently pushed Rebecca Bones, older sister of Amelia Bones whom was in Hufflepuff, off of her and stood up.

Milly looked at Aurora and grinned evilly. She put her hands up, motioning for Aurora to come at her. "Come on, pretty. I've wanted to bust your face up for a while now."

"Really now?"

"Yes, really," Milly snarled and then lunged for Aurora, accidentally kicking Rebecca. Aurora grunted as she hit the edge of the table hard. 'That's going to leave a nasty bruise,' she thought as Milly grabbed her hair and tugged hard, making Aurora's head yank to the side. Aurora screeched and glared harshly at her.

"You fight like a girl! Stop yanking on my hair and try to punch me!" Aurora taunted. Milly blinked at her in confusion and Aurora took advantage, making a very nice blow to her stomach. Milly gasped and fell over, having lost her breath. Aurora rubbed her head where Milly had yanked on her hair. She frowned down at the gasping girl before stepping over her. Aurora helped Rebecca up and shook hands with her before she looked over to try and find Sirius and Ewald.

Sirius was beating the crap out of Mulciber but he exposed his side and Mulciber took the opportunity. His fist connected solidly with Sirius' rib cage and Aurora heard the breath leave Sirius as his diaphragm was put into shock. Aurora screamed his name and ran, towards them, jumping and dodging when she needed to.

She reached Ewald and Sirius and tried to pull Ewald off of Sirius. He had him on the floor and was kicking him continually in the ribs and stomach. Sirius was curled, grunting with each strike of Ewald's foot. Aurora got up behind Mulciber and hooked her arms under his, yanking him backwards as hard as she could but to hardly any avail.

"Ewald! Ewald, stop it now! Get off of him!" She pulled on Ewald's arm and shoulder as hard as she could. She actually knocked him off balance and he fell against the table. He turned his angry eyes on her and punched her hard in the face. She fell backwards with a cry; knocking over the cauldron Narcissa and Ewald had been working with. She landed hard on the floor, facing Narcissa, who cowered under the table, trembling and wide-eyed. When Aurora looked back up, Sirius was up and fighting with Ewald again. Aurora got to her feet and pulled the two apart with much difficulty. Slughorn had finally gotten the others to stop fighting as well with the help of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who weren't fighting.

Aurora placed herself between Ewald and Sirius; her body pressed close to Sirius', her arms hooked under his, her hands splayed on his back as she kept him standing and steady. He was trembling with rage and was teetering slightly in her arms. Her back was to Ewald as she looked up at Sirius and then pulled her handkerchief from her waistband. She began wiping the blood from his nose, eye brow, and lip as he glared dangerously at Ewald still.

Ewald was returning that nasty glare as he wiped his blood off on the sleeve of his sweater. His gaze then fell on Aurora and he couldn't stop himself before he said it.

"Our deal is off, Badeau." He saw her still her movements and slowly turn towards him. Everyone was watching them again. He glared nastily at her, his eyes sparking with fury. "Remember our little deal?"

"Ewald…Don't…please," she begged, her eyes pleading with him silently as she felt a thick wetness trickle down from her nose. She wiped at it and looked down at her fingers briefly before she looked up at Ewald again. 'That damn bastard made me bleed….' He shook his head as he smirked slightly.

"Do your friends know that Voldemort is your uncle?" Aurora stiffened and paled. He grinned wickedly. "Guess not." He spat some of his saliva and blood on the ground at her feet.

Aurora could feel everyone gasp. She began to hear them whisper and stare at her in shock. She felt Sirius stiffen against her and she stepped away from him. She looked around the room slowly and saw all of their faces. Lily looked absolutely shocked as many of the others did. James and Remus were speechless; both sporting new cuts and bruises. Slughorn looked completely lost and surprised with Ewald. Aurora knew that he already knew her secret. Sirius was the last one she looked at. She saw every emotion in his eyes and on his face. Anger, shock, disgust. Aurora and Sirius stared at each other for a few seconds before she bolted from the room and ran up the dungeon stairs into the entrance hall. From there she ran out of the school.

She ran all the way to Hogsmeade and just beyond it. She stopped when she had climbed her way up some high rocks. She sat down, shaking and breathing hard. The tears came suddenly and the sobs wracked her body hard. Her whole world had just finished crumbling down around her. Who could she turn to now?


	12. Searching For Aurora

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Pippa and Lily, with permission from Professor Flitwick (the Head of House for Ravenclaw), searched the entire Ravenclaw house for Aurora but exited it with defeated expressions. Lily growled and crossed her arms worriedly. She had been gone for hours. What really didn't help was that Slughorn insisted that they all clean the classroom and then go to a blasted lecture by Dumbledore right after Aurora had run off.

She had never seen Dumbledore so angry before. He had actually sent Mulciber and Sirius home early on suspension. Everyone else had gotten detention, to which Apollyon Pringle was to give out. Lily hadn't seen him so happy before. She and Pippa had approached Dumbledore after the lecture and, with Slughorn, told him that Mulciber had viciously told everyone of Aurora's secret and that she had run from the classroom. Dumbledore went practically mad, scolding Slughorn harshly for not telling him sooner. He ordered all of the ghosts to look for her as well as all of her friends, including James, Remus, Peter, Rebecca, Frank, and Alice, and Aurora's Head of House, Professor Flitwick.

They had been looking for her for about two and a half hours now and nothing. The girls wandered the halls, checking girls' bathrooms and some abandoned classrooms here and there. When it was the third hour, they headed to Dumbledore's office and knocked on the door. They heard him tell them to come in and Pippa twisted the handle, pushing the huge door open. They stepped into his spectacular and large office. Fawkes, Dumbledore's beautiful red and gold phoenix sang softly to the girls when they entered. Lily gently patted his feathered head. Dumbledore sighed heavily, his face becoming worried at the solemn faces of the girls. Then, when he was about to speak, the ghosts of the school entered his office, as well as the rest of Aurora's friends, all shaking their heads. Professor Flitwick joined them not long after the ghosts.

"No sign of her, Albus," he squeaked as he waddled up next to the girls. Dumbledore buried his face in his hands, shaking his head.

"Ewald…That damn boy! We need to find Aurora before night fall, otherwise she---"

He was interrupted when his fire crackled and flamed a bright red.

"Albus? Albus, are you there?" A female voice called out to Dumbledore. He stood and went to his fireplace, looking down into the face of Madam Rosemerta, the owner of The Three Broomsticks. "Oh good. Albus, she's here! Well, not here but she's in Hogsmeade, somewhere. I saw her running from the school. She ran all the way through Hogsmeade and out beyond it. I think she began to climb the rocks, Albus."

He looked relieved and Lily looked to her right, smiling wide at Rebecca, James, Remus, Frank, Peter, Alice, and Pippa, all of whom looked eased and happy. "Thank you, Rosemerta. I will be right there." The flames flickered out and Dumbledore turned to the group. He waved his hand, dismissing the ghosts and then nodded to Professor Flitwick. "You may go back to your classes, Filius."

"James, Remus, Peter, and Frank; thank you for your help. You may go back to your dormitories and relax," Frank and Peter nodded and left but Remus and James stayed and Dumbledore raised a silver eye brow at them. "Yes?"

"Professor, may we join you in retrieving Aurora? I mean…Remus has known her for their entire lives and I'm pretty close with her too."

Dumbledore gave them a happy smile, his blue eyes twinkling. "Yes, you may accompany me." Rebecca and Alice looked at each other before exiting the room. They were friends with Aurora but not as close as Lily and Pippa were.

Professor Flitwick nodded and left the room with the ghosts. Dumbledore now gazed upon the two girls and two boys still in his office. "You four will come with me. She's going to need you more than ever right now. I guarantee you that she's feeling unwanted and hated. You'll have to show her she's wrong." His four students nodded and he motioned for them to come to his side. He grabbed some Floo Powder and threw it into the fire, the flames blazing green suddenly.

Dumbledore stepped in first and said "The Three Broomsticks" before the green flames engulfed him and he disappeared. Pippa followed, then Lily; Remus went right before James. They all dusted themselves off after stepping out of the fireplace at the Three Broomsticks, before Dumbledore started to leave without them. Pippa protested.

"You said she needs us."

"Pippa, she does. But I will not risk your lives on those rocks. Stay here and I'll bring her to you." Pippa sighed and nodded, giving in. He left them and walked all the way to the rocks. He looked up once he got to the base of the rocks and saw a small foot hanging delicate over one of the higher rocks. He sighed and began to climb. It took him about fifteen minutes before he got to her. She was sobbing, her small form trembling, her face buried in her arms as she laid on the flat rock. He kneeled down next to her and gently placed his hand on her back. "Aurora, I'm here."

Aurora looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks soaked. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, sitting up to face towards Hogsmeade. "They all hate me. They hate me for something I can't control! Where do I go now, Professor? I don't have a home to go to anymore."

"Aurora, you may stay at Hogwarts for as long as you would like. Professor Igorus is retiring this year. We'll need another Psychology of the Magical Mind teacher. That is one of your best subjects, is it not?"

Aurora looked up at him as if he were insane. "You're offering me a job? Are you serious? You will get into trouble with the parents, Professor. They won't want a descendent of Voldemort teaching their children Psychology of the Magical Mind."

"When have I ever put children in harms way? Many parents trust my opinion and decisions."

"And many will think you're clearly off your rocker…Professor, I think its best if my sisters and I disappear for a while." She sniffed, not liking the idea herself. Dumbledore frowned and grabbed both of her shoulders roughly, turning her to face him. He shook her slightly.

"Listen to yourself, Aurora! Where is the Aurora everyone knows? Where's the strong willed, stubborn, stands-up-for-her-rights yet turns-the-other-cheek, opinionated, outspoken Aurora? You've never given in to anyone like this before. It's disturbing. You've always said that no matter what Voldemort did to you, you'd never give in to what he really wants. Where's that girl?"

"I said all of those things before he attacked my family. I said that no matter what he did to _me_," she poked her chest, "I'd never give in. He's not attacking me, Professor. He's attacking my family! I don't have just me to think of now. I have to protect my sisters now," she snapped, her eyes tearing up again. Dumbledore sat back on his heels, his hands leaving her shoulders.

"You're mother raised you better than this. She's the one who told you to defend yourself, to not take anything lying down. He won't stop looking for you, even if you hide, Aurora; you know that." Aurora looked away from him, knowing he was right. "Why not fight then? Defend yourself and protect your sisters. You can fight him and let your sisters stay at Hogwarts."

"I can't ask you to watch over Nicola and Italia when they aren't yet eleven years old."

"I want them to stay. They'll keep me on my toes. Plus, some of the other professors enjoy them. Let them have as normal a life as possible, Aurora. You can work for Hogwarts and fight against your uncle and protect your sisters all at the same time."

Aurora sniffed again, whipping her eyes again as she thought about it. She looked as if she was actually considering the idea. "It does make sense…"

"Yes, it does," Dumbledore chuckled and sat down. "So, do we have a deal? Your sisters can stay at Hogwarts and you can work there after you graduate." Aurora nodded and smiled weakly. Dumbledore clapped her on the shoulder and then stood, brushing his robes off. "Well, we need to get back to the school." Aurora gave him a pout but stood and brushed her skirt and sweater. She and Dumbledore gingerly made their way down the rocks and then walked slowly into the town.

She pushed the door open to the Three Broomsticks and closed her eyes as the warm air made her realize just how cold she had been. She stepped in and rubbed her arms. Rosemerta came to her with a tall mug of Butterbeer and she sipped greedily at it, sighing softly when the warm liquid warmed her up on the inside. She was about to take another sip with her eyes closed when she felt two pairs of feminine arms wrap around her and squeezed her tight. She held her full mug out so it wouldn't slop all over her and whoever was hugging her. She opened her eyes and saw dirty blonde and red hair and immediately knew who they were.

She looked bewildered when they pulled away from her. They were both smiling widely in relief. Aurora flinched when Pippa socked her arm suddenly. Aurora glared at her and rubbed her offended appendage. "What was that for?"

"For running off. Did you honestly think we wouldn't be your friends anymore just because your uncle is Voldemort? I thought you trusted us," Pippa snapped. Aurora relaxed, relieved that they weren't disgusted by her. "And you didn't trust us with the information in the first place."

"I'm sorry…I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't even find out until I was fourteen and it was by accident. Mum didn't want any of us to know. She was ashamed of it. She told me about the hostility towards her when she was younger; everyone thought she was helping him when he started his little cult. She told me to keep it a secret from everyone because she didn't want me to be discriminated against the way she was. That's the first thing that attracted her to my dad; the fact that he had no idea who she was or who her brother was. She told me to marry a muggle…" She giggled softly but became solemn quickly. "I'm sorry. I never meant to offend either of you."

Lily hugged her and then pulled away, tears in her eyes. "We are your friends. We'll be here for you no matter what. We know you're not like him; we know you'll never be like him." Aurora began to cry softly and the two girls hugged her again, their foreheads pressed together, arms embracing each other, all eyes closed as they stood in a circle. Dumbledore glanced over at Rosemerta whose eyes were swimming with tears as she watched the intimate moment between the three girls. She clutched her hands to her chest, smiling softly at them and sighed softly.

When Pippa and Lily released her, they stepped aside and let her see that James and Remus were there too. Remus went to her and held her like he would Pippa. "I would never judge you like that, Aurora. How could I, being what I am?" He whispered to her so only they heard.

"Oh Remus…I'm sorry. I didn't think…" She trailed off, tears pricking her eyes.

"Exactly; you didn't think. None of us could judge you by your family, Aurora, because we know who you are. We know you're not anything like him and that you never will be." Aurora began to cry and he held her to him a bit tighter. It was like seeing Pippa cry; he hated it. James took her next and just soothed her by stroking her back and head. Lily and Pippa looked at each other in surprise. They didn't think that James would be so supportive and caring.


	13. Her Brother's Secret

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

The rest of the week was terrible but when Christmas break came around, everything became a little less stressful. Aurora was sitting in her compartment on the Hogsmeade train. It shook and jerked gently here and there but Holly, Nicola, and Italia were all passed out. Italia slept on Aurora's lap and Holly and Nicola sat across from them, their heads resting against one another's. Aurora smiled softly and pulled Italia closer to her when Lily came back from the restroom. Italia groaned softly in her sleep and snuggled closer to Aurora, her little hands fisting gently in her shirt.

"Still out, I see. I swear, a bomb could go off next to them and they wouldn't wake up," Lily remarked about Holly, Nicola, and Italia. Aurora snorted with soft laughter and nodded. Pippa came by with Rebecca Prewett, peeking their heads into the compartment. Lily asked them to get all of them some candies, handing to Pippa a small bang full of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Pippa made a quip about being their little maid and Rebecca giggled when Lily took a swipe at Pippa's legs. Pippa squeaked and skittered away to get the candy, leading Rebecca away.

Other than that, the trip was silent. James stopped by with Remus and Peter just to say hi to Lily and Aurora. James acted like nothing had happened all week and so did Remus. Peter looked terrified of Aurora and when she made a movement as if she was going to lunge for him, he shrieked like a girl and ran back to his compartment. Aurora laughed a little with James and Lily but soon fell quiet. She looked back out the window, watching the scenery fly by.

Aurora caught James giving Lily something from out of the corner of her eye and when she turned to look, James and Remus were gone and Lily held two presents.

"This one's for you. It says 'wait to open till Christmas,'" Lily whispered as she handed the little metallic blue wrapped box to Aurora. She fiddled with the silver ribbon and looked at the present in confusion.

"A present from James?"

"No; he said it was from someone else," Lily replied distractedly. Hers was wrapped with metallic red gift wrap paper and a golden bow. Aurora took that as 'I can't tell you; you'll have to find out later'. Before she knew it, Aurora had dozed off for a couple of hours. Lily nudged her awake when the train stopped and Aurora gently stood up, holding the sleeping Italia against her gently. She and Lily woke Nicola and Holly up and then grabbed everything that was theirs in the compartment. It took a while to get off of the train but eventually they did and as soon as Aurora took one step off of the train, she saw her brother Tim and his wife, Thekla, and their two very young children, Maximus and Alexander. Behind them were two wizards that were dressed in black and wore sunglasses.

Aurora approached Tim and Thekla slowly, gently handing Italia over to Tim.

"What's with the guys?"

"The ministry is helping protect us," Tim answered as he rubbed Nicola's head and smiled at Holly. "Well, girls, are you all ready for Christmas?" Holly and Nicola grinned from ear to ear and nodded vigorously.

Aurora waved to Lily and Pippa and they both waved back. Lily was off to spend time with her muggle family for the two weeks. Narcissa was being picked up by her older sister, Bellatrix; both were going to a large family reunion in Paris. Aurora glared at the older girl, a deep surge of loathing bubbling to the surface. Bellatrix glanced at her, giving her a very peculiar and nasty glare.

Remus and Pippa were going home to their country house to spend time with their parents and have a swarm of family members come over for Christmas dinner and New Years Eve. James was heading off to Russia to see some aging grandparents and no one knew exactly what Peter was doing.

Aurora and her family left King's Cross and were escorted to a black limo with little Ministry flags at the front and back of the car. Way to be discreet. She thought as she slid in next to Thekla. Soon they were all piled into the limo, which was much roomier inside than most muggle limos. About an hour and a half later they were all sitting in Tim's and Thekla's house. Italia, Maximus, and Alexander were all napping while Holly and Nicola played with Tim's German Sheppard, Luis. Thekla was in the kitchen, making tea and biscuits. She didn't really need to be in the kitchen, her wand could take care of all the food and beverages, but Aurora knew there was more to the reason why Thekla had left Tim and Aurora alone in the dining room.

Tim looked nervous and agitated, wringing his hands and glancing here and there but not at her. Aurora sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "What is it, Tim?"

"Huh? Oh…uh…well…I have more bad news, Aurora." Tim watched her as she rested her forehead against the oak table, her shoulders slouching.

"Great." He heard her mumble against the wood and he frowned. "Who is it this time?"

"Alfred. He's gone missing. In fact, he went missing about two weeks before Mum and Dad were attacked," Tim answered, his eyes watching her intently. Aurora looked up at him, her chin now resting on the table. Her brows were furrowed and she looked confused. When _was_ the last time I heard from Al? She thought about it and then realized that Tim was right. Al had stopped answering her letters two weeks before her incident in the Owlery.

"Do you think…Do you think that Voldemort got to him?" She whispered, lifting her head off of the table, her eyes concerned.

"He might have. Or he could have run and didn't want anyone to know where he was going."

"That's not like Al, though, Tim."

"I know and that's what worries me. Don't tell the girls, alright? They've been through enough." Aurora nodded, looking down and away from him. 'There's got to be something we can do to fight back.'

* * *

Christmas day came and Pippa was eager to open her presents from her friends. She sat up in her room; seven beautifully wrapped presents lay upon her bed. She was so excited; she didn't know which to open first. She reached for Severus' but hesitated. She and Severus had been having a bit of trouble with each other lately. They had gotten into a small discussion about her friends and his and she has asked him if he was planning to join the Death Eaters as his friends were.

He had showed her that he already had. Pippa had become infuriated, scared, and upset all at the same time. She drew her hand back and then grabbed the present that Andromeda had sent her. She unwrapped it quickly and opened the medium sized brown box. Inside was a light brown, leather bound journal with a beautifully colored quill; phoeparrot, Andromeda's card read. Lily's was next; a small and pretty silver Cheering Charm bracelet.

She finished another six and was quite pleased. James had given her a very brightly colored head band, hair pins, hair bands, and a hair color changing potion that made the drinker's hair whatever color the drinker thought of. Sirius had given her a book called _The Only Ways to Truly Kill a Vampire _by Jonathan Betterson. Pippa had laughed at that. She and Sirius had gotten into a small argument over how to really kill a vampire. Aurora had sent her a new Wizard Chess board. Pippa was truly happy about this; Patti Richardson had broken her old one on purpose the previous year, right after Christmas.

Andromeda had sent her another book entitled _101 Newest and Most Effective Jinxes and Hexes _by Megan Paddleroot. Pippa grinned, knowing that this was Andromeda's way of protecting Pippa when Aurora and Lily were gone, leaving her alone at Hogwarts. She had received a collection of colorful, animated pins from Peter, the only thing he could afford. Rebecca was unable to send her anything, having very little money and she was still learning how to knit and crochet. The floor was covered with ripped gift wrapping and empty boxes with tissue paper here and there as well. She tidied up the room before she picked up the small package that Severus had given her.

As she held it in her hands, Pippa almost cried. She had a feeling that this might be the last present that he would ever give her. She knew that their relationship was over and it tore at her heart. She really loved Severus Snape but she had a feeling that she wasn't the only one he loved. She knew about Lily's and Aurora's past with him. They all had been very close friends until their fifth year at Hogwarts, only a year into Severus' and Pippa's relationship. He had called Lily a Mudblood and Aurora a half-breed; and Lily refused to ever speak to him again. The friendship ended, crushing Severus. Pippa also ended their fledgling relationship but only a half a year later they were back together. Pippa had of course asked Lily and Aurora if it was alright and they said it was. Aurora and Severus were civil with each other; they didn't hang out unless they had to but they talked in passing in the hallways, the Great Hall, and in the classrooms. Aurora didn't trust him like she used to and she hadn't completely forgiven him but she still called him a friend and vice versa.

Pippa slowly pulled the ribbon undone and then gently tore the paper away from the cardboard box under it. She tore the tape off of the box and then slowly opened it. Sitting in a bed of bright blue tissue paper was a diamond ring. Pippa gasped and the tears finally began to leak from her eyes. He had thrust the package into her hands after the fight, saying that he was going to do something very special for her but he had changed his mind. He told her to so whatever she liked with what he had gotten her. Pippa sank onto the edge of her queen sized mattress.

The diamond, set in silver, sparkled and Pippa knew it was real. He was going to propose to her. She lay down and buried her face in her pillow as she sobbed, her whole body shaking with the force of them. She had just lost the one guy that she had ever loved; for good.


	14. Letters

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Christmas came pretty quickly for Aurora and her family. She was in the middle of sending last minute Christmas presents out to Lily, Severus, Andromeda, and Sirius; having just sent James, Remus, Pippa, and Rebecca theirs. She was writing Sirius a letter of apology. There were balled up pieces of paper that had failed her inspection; her brother's poor trash can was overflowing. Aurora sat back, adding one last period to the letter she hoped was the last attempt. She began to read it and was amazed that anyone could read her very bubbly hand-writing.

_Dear Sirius,_

_I think you probably hate me because of who my uncle is. I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did. I know we've never been very close but I've always considered you a friend, no matter how many arguments we get into. I wish I could have been more open about my family; I wish I could have told everyone in the very beginning so that Ewald wouldn't have anything to hold over my head._

_I never wanted to be with him, Sirius. I despise him. He's cruel and rude and arrogant and hypocritical. No, it was never him that I liked and it wasn't Daniel Whisperwood or any of the other guys I've dated throughout our years at Hogwarts. Sirius, it's always been you that I've wanted to be with. You've always been the one guy I've had a lasting crush on. But it seemed impossible for us to be together._

_Either I was in a relationship when you were single, or you were in a relationship when I was single or we were both with other people at the same time. I really thought I had lost you to Florence Fletcher. You two seemed almost perfect together. I remember being very jealous of her but I never really showed it. I just took it out on you, pushing you away from me and to her even more. Now I know I've lost you for good._

_I mean, who's going to want to be with me now? No one who knows my family history, anyway. I'm not proud to be his niece, Sirius. I dislike snakes not because I fear them but because I am indeed a Parselmouth and because they represent the very being of Voldemort and my Slytherin ancestors. Sirius, he killed my muggle father and my muggle grandparents. He tortured my mum to insanity and into a vegetative state._

_Now Tim and I fear that he might have gotten Alfred as well. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I'm sorry. That's all this letter was supposed to say. I'm sorry. So…I want you to know that I'm letting go of the idea of ever being with you in any way; as a friend, a lover. So, I guess this is good-bye. Be happy, Sirius. Thank you for everything._

_Sincerely,_

_Aurora Clementine Badeau_

'Oh geez…I'm such a cheese cake!' She glared at the letter and then just left it on the desk, walking over to the guest bed in the office. She sat on it heavily, sighing as she leaned back and laid there. 'You've fallen hard, Miss Aurora.' She closed her eyes and rested her head on her hands. 'Crap.' She heard a soft hoot and looked to the window. "Isis!" Aurora went to the window, gently picking up her favorite owl, a female Snowy Owl that had belonged to her mother. She pet Isis, smiling as the bird affectionately nibbled at her earlobe. "I've missed you a lot, Isis. What do you have for me tonight?" She pulled a small package and letter off of Isis' leg and unrolled the parchment first. It's from Aunt Gloria. Aurora sat down on the bed again, letting Isis hop off of her arm and onto the bed.

Absently, Aurora noticed that Isis had ruffled her feathers and settled down next to her. Her aunt Gloria wasn't from her mother's side. No, she only had one surviving member from that side of the family, besides her mother, and that was her Uncle Tom (a.k.a. Voldemort). No, this aunt was from her father's side of the family. Her father's sisters and brother had been taught by Alicia how to communicate to the magically inclined. It had worked and they actually all liked using owls as a post carrier. Aurora began to read the letter, her eyes scanning it quickly.

_Dear Tim,_

_I'm sorry to hear about Alfred. I can't believe he has turned to the dark side of your magical community. I know you must be going through denial, him being your twin and all. Being betrayed isn't the best feeling in the world. So you know for sure that he's the one who gave you parents and my parents over to Tom Riddle? Isn't he your "secret keeper"? Do you think he's given your whereabouts away? If he has, you are more than welcome to come live with my husband and me. Henry won't mind, I promise. I don't want any more tragedies befalling this family. Please respond as soon as you're able. Love you._

_Always,_

_Aunt Gloria and Uncle Henry_

Aurora paled, her hand reaching up to gently wrap around her neck. 'WHAT?!' "No…No. Alfred would not give our parents and grandparents to Voldemort on a silver platter. It's not like him." Aurora stood and went to the door, wrenching it open. "Tim! Tim!" She stormed down the stairs and into the living room. Tim ran in with Thekla close behind, hold Alexander as she bottle fed him. Tim and Thekla looked concerned. Aurora waved her aunt's letter around in the air as Holly and Nicola entered the room with Italia. "What's this?! Huh!?" She threw it at him, her eyes blazing angrily at him as the letter fluttered to the carpeted floor. Tim stooped down and picked the letter up, reading it quickly. He groaned and placed a hand over his face.

"Yeah. What is it, Tim?" Aurora was sounding angrier by the second, which upset two year old Maximus, who began to wail and cling to his mother's skirts. Tim glared at Aurora and then motioned for Thekla to remove Alexander and the other young children out of the room. He turned his attention back to his furious sister and paced, waiting for everyone to be out of the room. When they were gone, he spoke.

"I didn't want you to know the truth."

"What truth?! That's all lies! He wouldn't hand our parents and grandparents over to Voldemort like that! They raised all of us better than that!" Tim was shaking his head, making Aurora angrier. "What do you mean, no!?"

"Aurora, he began acting strangely about two months before all of this shit happened! He became edgy and nervous around us. Mum accidentally grabbed his forearm and he yelled at her because it hurt. We asked him to let us look at it and he refused. He was acting like a wounded and cornered dog."

"Maybe he had a really bad cut or bruise or something! Maybe he was tired and agitated from work!" She argued, refusing to believe this. Tim shook his head hard and then grabbed her shoulders, shaking her almost violently.

"Aurora, Mum told me she saw him looking at his arm in one of the bathrooms at the Italy house. She saw the dark mark on him!"

Aurora was speechless. The dark mark on her brother, Al; the biggest joker of them all? Tim noticed her disbelief and moved away from her. He paced a little, his hand running through his thick brown hair.

"Not Al. Al wouldn't do that!" She refused, shaking her head as her chin trembled and her voice began to choke.

"Are you so sure, Aurora?! Are you?! He's my twin, damn it, and _I_ didn't even notice it! He's changed, Aurora. He's not the Al we knew anymore!" He was yelling now and Aurora flinched, stepping away from him. She glared at him and then ran up the stairs, slamming the door to the room she was staying in.

* * *

Lily sat on her blue plaid bed, leaning back on a pile of soft pillows. Her legs were bent up in front of her, a hard book against her legs as she wrote a letter to Pippa. She has just gotten a letter from Pippa about her break off with Severus Snape. Lily tried pouring all of her sympathy and comfort into the letter; she knew Pippa needed it desperately. She also knew that Aurora, Andromeda, and she were the only ones who would be hearing about this besides her brother. Pippa would not tell Sirius or James about this for fear of humiliation by the two.

A tapping noise came from her window and Lily looked up. She saw her barn owl, Hooty, at the window, tapping away. He wanted in and he was carrying something. Lily stood and went to the window and let him in, a cold gust of wind following him. He hooted loudly and nipped at her finger tips as she reached for him.

"Hooty, behave or you won't get any treats," she scolded and the bird seemed to understand her because he allowed her to touch him and get the letter off of his leg. She then gave him some treats, smiling as he hooted happily at her. She went back to her bed and got back into the position she had been in prior to the owl interrupting her writing. She opened her new letter and smiled as she read what Aurora had written her.

Her happy expression quickly turned into one of horror as she read Aurora's letter, which sounded angry and wounded.

_Dear Lily,_

_My brother, Alfred, wasn't kidnapped like I had told you before; like Tim had told me. No, he joined the Death Eaters or so Tim tells me. Mum caught him not too long ago with the Dark Mark on his arm. No one tells me anything! I had a right to know! Maybe I could have talked some sense into him. What's worse is…he's the one who gave Voldemort my parents' and grandparents' whereabouts._

_He's the reason why my father, grandfather, and grandmother are all dead; he's the reason why my mother is in St. Mungo's hospital, why she's insane and as good as dead._

_Lily… I don't know what to do. I wish you were here. I need someone to hug me and tell me that everything is going to be ok. Tim tried keeping this a secret from me but I intercepted a letter from my aunt Gloria. He had told her, a muggle who doesn't understand a thing about our world. How could he do that to me? It's completely unfair and inconsiderate! I want to run away. I just want to leave all of this effing crap behind me._

_I just needed to vent…I'm sorry. I'll see you at the station._

_Always,_

_Rora_

_P.S. I finally wrote Sirius, but I never sent it out._

Lily felt so terribly for both of her friends that she became quite teary-eyed as she fiddled with her necklace that James had gotten her for Christmas. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before she finished her letter to Pippa. When she did, she sent it off with Hooty. Then she sat back down and began on Aurora's letter. 'What can I say to her? She's been through so much…It truly isn't fair.'


	15. A New Relationship and Aurora's Dilema

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Lily stepped out of the train at Hogsmeade and followed her friends towards the carriages. Pippa, she noticed, now sported hot pink streaks in her blonde hair. She suddenly felt someone very close to her right side and she turned her head to gaze upon her secret crush, James Potter. Lily smiled and gently touched the necklace she wore now that he had given her for Christmas. He noticed and grinned, flushing a little.

"So…I guess that's your answer?" He asked, sounding hopeful but trying not to. Lily giggled and nodded, not noticing that her friends had stopped and were now staring at them. James stopped but Lily kept walking, still looking at him. She grunted softly when she ran into Pippa. Lily looked at her, blushing and Pippa laughed.

"What's your answer to what, Lily?" Pippa inquired; a delicate blonde eye brow arching. Lily blushed darkly and turned to James before turning back to Pippa, looking determined.

"James and I are together now," she responded. She heard Sirius snort and give James his congratulations as well as Remus. Aurora looked pleasantly surprised and Pippa just stared, slack-jawed, but quickly recovered, turning back to the carriages.

"It's about damn time," Pippa called over her shoulder as she got to the carriage and loaded herself in. She helped Molly up and then Remus and Peter. "These carriages need to seat more. Sorry, girls." Aurora and Lily shook their heads and smiled as the carriage gently lurched forward and rolled away. They waited for the next carriage quietly with Sirius and James in silence. James had inched closer and closer to Lily, grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers.

Aurora noticed and smiled. She was happy for her friend but she felt awkward around Sirius. She had never opened the gift that Lily said Sirius must have gotten her and he kept glancing at her, expecting something. She just felt odd around him now. The carriage approached, being carried by absolutely nothing. James got in first and helped Lily in on the left side. Sirius got in next and turned around as Aurora was trying to help herself in. She looked up when Sirius grabbed both her hands and gently pulled her up and into the carriage. They stared awkwardly at each other and Lily and James just watched in slight amusement.

Aurora cleared her throat and turned towards Lily before she sat down on the soft cushioned bench. Just as she was settling down, she heard Patti Richardson make a snide remark towards her. Aurora didn't quite catch it and when she looked up, Patti and her gaggle of girls giggled and smirked.

"What was that, Patti?" Aurora questioned innocently, her blue eyes piercing into Patti's hazel ones.

"I told Lily to be careful. I mean, she's from a pure muggle family and you are the niece of the Dark Lord. You might jinx her," Patti repeated. Aurora smiled slightly and turned to Lily.

"Did you hear that, Lil?" Aurora asked, adding her fond nickname for her best friend.

"Yes, I did, Aurora." Lily had a very nasty glare set on Patti as Aurora turned back to Patti.

"Patti, Lily is my closest friend. If anyone should be careful of me, it's you. If I am indeed as good at magic as the Dark Lord, I might be able to hex you and you wouldn't even know it was me. So watch your step, Richardson. You never know when I might be hiding around a corner," Aurora said cheerily. Patti paled, making her already quite pale face as pasty as white paint, and her smile vanished quickly. Aurora smiled sweetly at her, her head gently cocked to the side to add a more endearing effect as her carriage jerked gently forward and began its ride back to the castle.

* * *

When they had gotten back to the castle, Aurora parted from Lily, James, and Sirius. She caught up with Nikita as she walked to the Ravenclaw house. When they reached the crowd where the door to the commons of Ravenclaw should have been, Aurora rolled her eyes and Nikita sighed heavily in annoyance.

"Vat is going on? Can te prefects not anzer te door again?" Nikita asked Larissa Fritz, a dirty blonde with pale skin and an unusual sense of fashion. Larissa blushed and nodded, being one of those prefects. Nikita rolled her eyes and looked at Aurora. Aurora pushed her way through the crowd and found Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Shacklebolt, can you answer it?" she asked as she approached him. He shook his head, frowning. The door asked the group of Ravenclaws again.

"I know a word of letters three; add two and fewer there will be."

Aurora frowned slightly and thought. She didn't have to think long before it clicked.

"The word is 'few'; add 'e-r' and it becomes 'fewer'." She answered correctly for the door said next "good use of skills" before swinging open. The Ravenclaw students began to file in, all smiling and chattering about their vacations.

Kingsley clapped her on her shoulder and grinned, his pearly white teeth shining brightly against his very dark skin. Eventually every Ravenclaw student had gotten into the common room and most went up to their rooms to sleep. The once chatter filled room was quiet. Larissa was studying like mad at one of the tables while Aurora sat before the fire, and Kingsley was reading the Daily Prophet.

The snow was hitting the window, gathering on the sill. Aurora sat with one leg tucked against her, her foot completely under her, and the other leg was bent up. Her arms were wrapped around said leg and her chin rested on her knee. Aurora didn't notice that Emily Goodriden had sat down on the floor beside her.

"Hey, what are you thinking about, Aurora?" Aurora blinked over at her, her position not changing except for her head moving to face Emily.

Emily was about two years younger than Aurora and was probably the complete opposite of her as well. While Aurora's hair was straight and black, Emily's was wavy and very blonde. Aurora was fair in complexion but still had a bit of a tan while Emily was almost as pale as a ghost. Aurora was defiant in a loud way while Emily was silently defiant. The only physical similarity between the two was their eyes. Both had crystal blue eyes.

"Nothing."

"You're a terrible liar," Emily admonished with a small smile. Aurora flushed and looked back into the fire. Emily watched as Aurora debated with herself on whether she should say anything or not. "You can tell me, Aurora. I promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me." And Aurora knew it was true; Emily was very good at keeping secrets which was exactly what Aurora needed.

Aurora sighed but didn't look away from the fire. "It's Sirius. I'm thinking about him," she whispered softly, her eyes looking sad. Emily frowned.

"What about him?"

"He...He is just so frustrating. One minute I can't stand him and in the next, he's making me blush and smile. He's just so complicated."

"Most men are," Emily responded. Aurora snorted.

"Sirius? A man?"

"What else would you call him?"

"A boy," Aurora quipped. Emily giggled but shook her head.

"He's no boy, Aurora. He's far more mature than he used to be." She heard a heavy sigh and saw Aurora's shoulders slump slightly.

"I know…But he drives me insane!"

"That's what they're here on Earth for." Aurora giggled at Emily and Emily smiled.

"I wish they weren't here for that!" Both girls turned towards Larissa's direction as said girl cleared her throat. Aurora turned back to Emily, giggling softly. Suddenly, she was pouting at Emily.

"What do I do, Em?" Aurora asked with pleading eyes. Emily sighed and sat up a bit taller.

"You confront him. You tell him how you feel about him and then you wait for his answer." Aurora nodded, listening intently and Emily continued. "You tell him everything. If he returns your feelings, you start going with him. If he doesn't, you take it like a woman, smile and walk away. Got it?" Aurora nodded again. "Now, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed. Are you coming?"

"No…"

"Alright but don't stay up too late though, Aurora," Emily said as she stood and began to walk away. Aurora caught her ankle and she looked down at her.

"Thanks, Emily," Aurora said quietly and Emily smiled at her and nodded. Then she made a face and gently yanked her ankle away from Aurora.

She sauntered off, Larissa following only a minute afterwards. Five minutes later, Aurora heard Kingsley get up and go to his rooms too. Aurora stayed in front of the fire for the rest of the night, unknowingly nodding off on the rug before the hearth.


	16. Black Confidence

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…) Ah hell…here: Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernethy are © me as well.

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Winter went by slowly that year and the weather was terrible. Lily and James were becoming more and more serious with each other. They seemed so perfect together even if they didn't get along all the time and they did argue. Aurora still hadn't talked to Sirius and Pippa had stopped nagging her about it. Pippa and Severus were still apart, much to Remus' pleasure. Aurora could tell that it was taking its toll on the girl though. She looked tired and upset all of the time. It was January now and everyone in the school was yearning for summer. It was becoming very bittersweet for most seventh years; they only had a few months left with all of their friends and teachers. 

Aurora was up in her dormitory with Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernethy. Nikita was already fast asleep in her bed, while Rosaline and Delilah chatted quietly on their beds that were next to each other. Aurora remained quiet as she changed into her flannel pjs. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped pulling her socks off. She took a good look at her reflection and gently touched her face. I'm looking old… She thought as she took in the dark circles beneath her eyes and the tired and stressed look in her eyes. Her face looked strained and pale as she frowned.

Suddenly, Delilah gasped sharply and Rosaline shrieked as the door to their room burst open. Aurora looked over her shoulder as the door banged open. There stood Sirius Black, a wild, determined looked on his face, one arm outstretched to keep the door open. Nikita woke up and blinked around the room groggily as Aurora stood and walked around her bed to come near him.

"Sirius, what are you doing here?! How did you get up here?!" Aurora sounded as shocked as she looked. Her eyes were wide, her jaw was slack, and her brow was furrowed. He was panting heavily as he approached her; she stepped back on pure instinct, her eyes regarding him wearily.

"I'm…not leaving this…room…until you…go out wi-with me," he gasped out. He took a large gulp of air and grabbed the post of her bed to steady himself. Aurora gently grabbed the front of his robes and helped him sit on her bed.

"Sirius, how did you get up here?"

"I…The stairs…"

"I know about the stairs. They've been like that for a long time; before my mum's time here. Did you…did you climb up the slope?" She looked back at Rosaline and motioned for her to look outside the door as Sirius gulped in air. Rosaline went to the door and looked out of it and down the hall that normally was a staircase. Now there were no stairs and it was as slick and smooth as ice. Rosaline looked back at Aurora and nodded, letting her know that Sirius had most likely been struggling to get up the incline for a while. She looked back at said boy and docked him on the head before crossing her arms under her chest and glaring at him with a delicately raised eye brow. He glared up at her as he rubbed the offended area.

"What was that for?" He was no longer struggling to breathe so Aurora hit him again, harder and on his shoulder. He flinched and glared angrily at her. "Would you stop hitting me?!"

"What the hell were you thinking, coming into the Ravenclaw House dormitories and climbing up that incline!? You're going to get into a lot of trouble for this one, Black!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, he was standing and had a hand over her mouth, the other cupping the back of her head. "Not if you keep your mouth shut," he growled. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, making him look at her suspiciously as the three other girls in the room just watched the encounter with wide eyes. Suddenly, he yelped and pulled both his hands away from her as he babied his offended palm. He looked at her incredulously as she looked at him smugly. "You _BIT_ me!" Nikita, Rosaline, and Delilah stifled their giggles.

"Well, don't put your hands over my mouth!" Aurora snapped irritably. He pointed his finger at her face and she gave him a 'do-you-really-want-a-repeat-of-history' look. He curled his finger back and glared at her suspiciously.

"I told you that I'm not leaving here until you say you'll go out with me," he said again and Aurora finally heard him. Her jaw dropped open and her eyes bulged slightly.

"You can't stay in here all night, Black!" Delilah spoke up, sounding outraged.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind," he responded, though his eyes never left Aurora's face, which was turning bright red. He smirked. "So what do you say, Badeau?"

"What do I…What do I say?! I say that you can enjoy detention! And the rest of your house's anger! 100 points from Gryffindor!" She snapped, hitting him repeatedly anywhere she could. He deflected each blow, flinching and wincing, his eyes narrowing.

"Just say you'll go out with me and I'll leave!"

"Aurora! Just get him out already!" Rosaline snapped at her. Aurora turned and gave her a nasty glare. While she was distracted, Sirius grinned and took advantage. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides, as he lifted her and pinned her onto her bed. She glared up at him, her eyes fiery and flashing dangerously. Sirius almost groaned. He was getting quite turned on by her defiance and anger; she was so beautiful. He saw her eyes glance down between them and saw the idea forming in her eyes; he acted quickly and put his legs between hers, spreading them wide enough to make her blush.

They could both hear the three other girls all gasp collectively and then giggle together. Aurora and Sirius panted, their eyes locked.

"Just go out with me, Badeau. That's all I'm asking," he whispered. Aurora breathed for a few seconds, watching him intently.

"Why?"

"Why do you need to know why?"

"Because I have a right, Black. You are asking _me_ out." He sighed and she felt a sudden pang of depression and automatically jumped to conclusions. He's doing it because of a bet…Gosh, he'll do anything to win a damn bet!

"It's a bet isn't it?" She demanded, looking hurt and angry.

"What?" He looked confused and then shook his head. "No, no, no. There's no bet, Badeau."

"Then why do you want me to go out with you? And will you stop calling me by my surname name? It's annoying."

"Because I fancy you, that's why. Is that a good enough answer for you,_ Aurora_? You call me Black."

"Only because you call me Badeau; you started that back in our second year!"

"Alright, alright! You win that one!"

"Since when do you give in so easily?" She was becoming suspicious and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to answer me, Aurora? I told you why I wanted you to go with me. What's the answer?" Aurora became quiet and pensive as he watched her. He was still on top of her on her bed and he could still feel the other girls staring at them. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she glanced over at the window. "Badeau?"

"Alright! But if I don't want to go out with you again, you can't push the issue." She warned and he nodded, grinning like a mad man. He got off of her and strode out of the room and slid down the flat staircase within a minute, leaving her sitting on her bed, watching him leave. As soon as the bedroom door was closed by Nikita, the other girls began to giggle. Aurora glared at them half-heartedly and rolled over, removing her last sock before sliding into bed. She got comfortable, smiling as she relaxed and closed her eyes.

* * *

The next day, before Transfiguration with Gryffindor, while Aurora was walking to said class with Lily, Sirius and James stopped them in the hall. James took Lily's hand in his and smiled at her as she squeezed his hand. Sirius was walking backwards, grinning widely at Aurora, who was blushing and trying not to look at him. Lily looked very confused as she looked from Aurora to Sirius and then to James. James smiled and shrugged. He knew exactly what was going on.

"So Badeau, this weekend at Hogsmeade…" Sirius said, his voice trailing. Aurora shot him a glare.

"Sirius, we've been over this. Show me some courtesy; try saying my first name. I know you're in the habit of being rude and obnoxious but really, if you expect anything to come out of this date, I suggest that you start using my first name," Aurora snapped in frustration. Sirius rolled his eyes, still grinning.

"Fine, _Aurora_; how does Hogsmeade sound?"

"Is there anywhere else we're allowed to go?" She remarked sarcastically, making Lily snort and stifle a giggle. She noticed his eyes narrow slightly but his grin never left his face.

"How many guys have you dated so far, Aurora?"

Aurora was slightly taken aback, her eyes blinking in surprise. "Well, there was Benjamin Thomas as well as Jonathan Clearwater and Joseph Davies; Ben was at the end of our first year; Joe was three months into our second year and John was two months after I broke up with Joe in February; I believe I started to date John in April and he lasted till May of our second year. There was Daniel Wisperwood before he was a player in middle of our third year, and then there was Frank Longbottom at the end of our third year; quite a sweetheart but not my type," she said more to Lily than the boys. Lily nodded as Aurora continued, ticking the names of the boys off on her fingers.

"Then there was Amos Diggory in the beginning of our fourth year and George Corner in the middle of our fifth year. I dated David Belby at the beginning of our sixth year and ended it with Zachary Finch-Fletchley," she was looking at the ceiling now, being quite thoughtful. "Hmmm…I believe that was all of them." Aurora looked at her friend but Lily just shrugged. Lily knew she was trying to tease Sirius and Sirius knew it too; he also knew every guy she had ever dated. "Oh but of course, you can't forget that scam of a relationship I was in with Mulciber this year," she finished with a grimace and Lily scowled. When Aurora looked at Sirius again, she felt quite glorious at the expression on Sirius' face; it was a mixture of pure rage and jealousy with some determination.

"We're going to be late, you two…" Lily said over her shoulder as James led her away from them. Sirius and Aurora were now standing still in the middle of the hallway, their stubborn eyes locked together in a silent battle.

"I'm going to beat all of them," he suddenly said, his eyes flashing determinedly, a slow smirk growing on his handsome face.

Aurora raised a dark brow. "Oh really? And how are you going to 'beat them all'?"

"I'm going to marry you," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Aurora's lone eye brow was joined with the other as she looked at him in complete surprise.

"Marry me? Aren't you skipping quite a few steps in the courting ritual, Black?"

"Eventually, I will be your husband and you will be madly in love with me."

"Really now? How come that's hard to believe?"

"Oh believe it, Badeau. Soon, you'll be Mrs. Black." And with that, he strode off to class as the bell rang. She watched him walk away and then followed, her heart pounding in her chest.


	17. The First Date

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Lily, Pippa, and Aurora walked out to Hogsmeade, laughing and chatting, all three girls arm-in-arm. They stopped when James approached them and held his hand out to Lily. She shrugged and took his hand and let him lead her away from them. Pippa looked over at Sirius who stood a few yards away from them. She smirked and nudged Aurora in her ribs gently and then nodded towards Sirius when Aurora looked at her questioningly. Aurora looked over at the very handsome boy standing nonchalantly, his hands tucked into his jeans; his grey eyes were on Aurora. She looked back at Pippa, looking very guilty.

"Don't worry about me…I'll go pester Remus and Peter," she said as she pulled away and ran after Lily and James, who were meeting up with Remus and Peter. Aurora watched them walk away and then looked back at Sirius. She took a deep breath and then began to walk to him. She fidgeted with her scarf as she stopped about three feet in front of him and she looked at him wearily.

"So…what are we going to do?" She asked tentatively and flinched slightly when he reached out to take her hand. He frowned and rolled his eyes at her.

"I don't bite, Aurora…"

"I know that!" She snapped and then took his hand, squeezing it a bit too hard. He winced slightly but hid it from her as he turned and began to lead her away from the little town. She followed silently, watching everything intently. They ducked under low lying tree branches and stepped over fallen branches or whole trees. The snow was thick on the ground and it crunched under their booted feet. "Where are we going, Sirius?" She finally questioned.

"You'll see," he said cryptically. Aurora sighed softly and continued to follow him. About five minutes later, Sirius pulled her into a snow covered clearing. Aurora looked around and then spotted a bright red blanket on top of the snow in the middle of the clearing. On top of the blanket there was a picnic basket and plates with utensils. Aurora smiled slightly but stopped herself when he looked over at her. She tried to look disinterested as he pulled her over to the blanket. "There's a spell on the blanket that keeps it from getting soaked by the snow. And the food is quite warm…"

"And where did you get said food?" She asked, eyeing him wearily as she sat down, tucking her skirt under her. He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head as he sat down across from her.

"I stole some from the kitchens…"

"Sirius Black, if Potter wasn't your best friend, you'd have detention ever hour of every day," she replied dryly. He just grinned. She sighed and shook her head, her hands clasped on top of her lap. She gave him a "well?" look and he started, jumping slightly as he reached for the basket and unloaded its contents. He ripped the bread apart with his hands and put a piece on her plate and on his before he handed her the warm butter. As she buttered her bread and watched him, he put some pudding and meat on her plate as well. He loaded his plate high and she snorted with a giggle. He looked at her with a raised eye brow as she blushed.

"Was that a snort, Miss Badeau?"

"No…" She lied and began to nibble on her bread. He chuckled at her and just watched her nibble and pick at her food as they ate.

"You always eat like this, don't you?" He asked after about five minutes of silence. Aurora looked up, a bit taken aback.

"Excuse me?"

"You're nibbling and picking at your food…You always do."

"And how would you know my eating habits, Mr. Black? You don't sit at the Ravenclaw table."

"Well, it's a combination, you see. I heard about it first but then I started to watc----Nevermind…" He took a large bite out of his meat and began to chew slowly. She looked at him quizzically.

"You've been watching me eat? That's a bit stalker-ish, don't you think? A bit pathetic too…"

"Hey! The first time was out of curiosity!"

"How many times have you watched me eat?!"

"………"

"Black…" She said with a warning tone.

"A lot, ok? Look, Badeau, I'm not going to play games here. I've liked you since our fourth year---"

"Oh, the year I suddenly 'sprouted boobs' and 'finally developed a curves'?" He flushed a bright red as she quoted him.

"That's not the only reason why I started to like you…" He replied quietly. She nibbled at her bread again and sighed.

"Well, you've waited long enough to tell me your feelings, didn't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" It was her turn to blush.

"Nothing," she responded quickly.

"Don't lie, Badeau….You fancied me too, didn't you?"

"Longerthanyou'vefanciedme…" She mumbled under her breath as she chewed on some meat.

"Say that again." He was smirking and she had to fight the urge to hit him. She finished chewing and then swallowed.

"Longer than you've fancied me," she snapped and pulled her meat apart with her fork, refusing to look at him. She felt him shift forward but she still refused to look up at him. She saw his hand reach up to her face and closed her eyes when he cupped her cheek and gently lifted her face up. She finally opened her eyes and she stared into his warm grey ones uncertainly.

"How long, Aurora?" He whispered and she blinked.

"Since the beginning of our third year…" She whispered back. He grinned and leaned forward even more. Just as their eyes fluttered shut and their lips were about to meet, Sirius felt a snowball hit the back of his head. His forehead connected with hers with a sharp thud and they both cried out, flinching. Aurora pulled back from him and rubbed her offended head, glaring at whoever was behind Sirius. She blinked as she saw Regulus, Mulciber, Rosier, Avery, Wilkes and Snape with some Slytherin girls standing behind Sirius. Sirius turned as well and he became quite stony faced as he glared at his younger brother.

Regulus was balling another pile of snow in his hands, smirking. He pulled his arm back and went to throw it but Aurora stood and pulled her wand out quicker than anyone expected. She stunned the snow ball, making it turn to powder before it even came near the blanket. Sirius was up in two seconds flat, his own wand drawn. Soon, everyone had their wands out.

"Damn you, you little prat!" Sirius growled at Regulus, who just smirked. The rest of the Slytherins just snickered. Aurora stepped to Sirius' side, her eyes on Severus.

"Severus…" He looked at her, trying to look steely and unmovable. "Please take your friends elsewhere."

"Ooooooohoooooo! Severus! You better listen to Badeau! She's the Dark Lord's niece!" Avery remarked snidely, making the rest of the Slytherins laugh. Aurora shot him a nasty glare and she felt Sirius tense next to her.

"You don't have any authority, Badeau," Wilkes sneered. She, in turn, glared at him.

Severus looked down and away from Aurora, looking ashamed. Aurora's eyes returned to Severus and she frowned. "Severus, as your friend, I'm asking you to please take your other friends away from here…" Aurora spoke to him again. She felt Sirius' eyes on her. The Slytherins all fell silent, some looking at her and the others looking at Severus. Severus' head snapped up and he glared coldly at her.

"You're not my friend, Half-Breed!" He snapped and Aurora flinched, looking hurt. She suddenly looked very sad for him. He couldn't look into her eyes so he turned his back to her and motioned for the others to follow him, mumbling something to them that she couldn't hear. They did, Avery, Wilkes, and Rosier backing up out of the clearing slowly, their eyes on Sirius.

"Friend?" Sirius spoke after everyone had left. Aurora slowly turned to him, looking a bit helpless.

"Sirius…I've known him since our first year. Lily and Sev already knew each other and I had nowhere to sit on the train so I had asked if I could join them…The rest is history. Lily stopped being friends with him in our fifth year; after he called her a Mudblood. My friendship with him is strained now but he's still my friend," she answered him. He sighed, his shoulders sagging. Aurora bit her lip and gave up, her own shoulders sagging. "I'll go then," she said as she began to walk away, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets. She kept her eyes on the ground as she walked away, the snow crunching under her feet. She felt very disappointed and confused.

"Badeau! Wait!" She heard him call to her and she turned, looking at him with questioning, wide eyes. He jogged to her and stopped at her side. "I don't care if you consider him a friend…I'd like to continue our date."

Aurora smiled softly and nodded. "So would I." She surprised to hear herself say it but couldn't stop the smile from growing. He grinned and turned, using his wand to bundle the picnic up. With a flick of his wrist the entire bundle was under his right arm and he turned back to her, still grinning and looking quite proud of himself, his chest puffing out slightly. Aurora giggled and hooked her arm in his as he offered it to her.

* * *

Aurora laughed; her eyes squeezed shut as she leaned against Sirius. Her arm was still linked with his and he chuckled beside her. "So I just told my dad that he could shove his coat rack up his bum…" He finished his joke, still laughing. Aurora caught her breath and giggled softly.

She hit his arm playfully. "You're terrible to your father…"

"Yeah well, if you knew him, you wouldn't be saying that." He said almost grimly. Aurora became quite solemn and stopped with him at the fence surrounding the Shrieking Shack. She squinted up at the house and frowned slightly. She knew the 'story' of the Shrieking Shack…Some story.

"Why did you want to date me, Sirius?" She asked suddenly and out of the blue. Sirius blinked at her and then looked at the house.

"I'm attracted to you." Aurora turned to him, frowning and he rushed to reassure her. "Not just in the physical sense. Truthfully, your intelligence and defiance towards me was what caught my attention first, back in our second year. I was just too young to realize what it was."

"I'm sure…"

"Come on now; I'm telling the truth. I mean, I'd have to be; you didn't become physically attractive till our fourth year…" He grinned at her and she scowled, throwing her arm at his stomach. "Oomph! Hey…"

"You know, sometimes there's this sweet, caring, kind, and gentle guy that will shine through you…_sometimes_…And then you open your mouth." She teased. "But I'm quite serious. Why do you really want to date me?"

"What are you trying to get at, Badeau?"

She sighed and shrugged slightly. "Well…you heard what Mulciber said in Potions before Christmas break; I just assumed that you wouldn't want anything to do with me…"

"Who am I to judge anyone based on who is in their family? Have you seen mine?"

"Oh…well…I didn't…I forgot…" She stammered, blushing softly.

He just grinned and turned her to face him. He hooked a finger beneath her chin and forced her to look up at him. He leaned down and was about to meet his lips with hers when she turned her head, making his lips collide softly with her cheek. He pulled back slightly, blinking bemusedly. "What?"

She turned her face to him again, smirking slightly. "I don't kiss on the first date…"

"You were about to back there!" He sounded disgruntled and Aurora did a mental victory dance.

"Well, I've changed my mind. I think it's about time you actually work to get something you really want." She turned on her heel at that and began to walk away, leaving him standing at the fence, completely bewildered. She looked back at him from over her shoulder, a huge, teasing grin on her face. Sirius' befuddled look turned to one of complete determination and he started running after her. She squealed and ran from him, weaving in and out of the trees, snow falling from the branches here and there behind her.

She looked behind her again and saw Sirius still coming at her, a grin firmly plastered on his face. She giggled and squeaked as she ran behind another tree and ran to yet another one. She slipped on some ice and she shrieked as she slid into the tree. She heard the tree creak over her and she looked up; her eyes widened and she dodged the pile of snow as it start to fall from the tree. She was lucky to get away from it. She looked around for Sirius but didn't see him or hear him.

She started going back the way she was running and looked around cautiously. She squealed when she felt his strong arms wrap around her midsection, trapping her arms against her sides. She laughed as he chuckled in her ear. He released her only to turn her around and gently pin her back up against a tree. He looked down at her, smiling that charming, crooked smile of his and Aurora felt her heart melt as she stared up at him, smiling back.

"Did I work hard enough?" His voice was throaty and husky, making a seductive shiver roll down her spine. She trembled slightly and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She tentatively licked her lips and nibbled at her lower lip, something he found incredibly endearing.

"That depends…"

"On?"

"Will there be a second date?"

"Only if you want there to be one…"

"I do…" She whispered softly and her breath hitched slightly as he leaned down and captured her lips with his. Aurora could have sworn that her knees had just melted beneath her because her legs went suddenly weak and she leaned into Sirius for support as her eyes fluttered shut.

Her gloved hands grasped his arms as she stood on her tip-toes, kissing him right back, her knees finally coming back to her. His tongue skimmed her lips and she sighed softly, her lips parting for him. He delved his tongue into her mouth, wrapping his arms around her to pull her up closer to him. She responded to him in full, making him groan. After a few minutes, which seemed like forever, they pulled their heads away from each other, their hot breath puffing out in clouds between them. She slowly opened her eyes and stared into his eyes. They leaned their foreheads against each other and slowly caught their breaths.

"Wow…" She finally whispered.

"Who taught you how to kiss like that?" He whispered back, his lips caressing her cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin. She smiled slightly, giggling.

"You'll hate me if I tell you…"

"I could never hate you."

"Ok…Daniel."

"Daniel?" He pulled back slightly, making a face that she couldn't help but laugh at. "Wisperwood? Ah gross…"

"Hey!" She hit his shoulder and he feigned a wince, chuckling.

"Just joking…"

"Who taught _you_ how to kiss like that?"

"Heh…" He began to nervously scratch the back of his head, something she called cute but kept it to herself so he wouldn't try to get all macho about it. "Silvia Johnson…"

"Wow…" She looked slightly impressed and he looked quite relieved. She looked down at her watch and her eyes widened slightly. "We need to go. The teachers will be rounding everyone up now…"

"Crap…" He grabbed her hand and they ran out of the forest together. They met up with Lily, James, Pippa, Remus, and Peter.

* * *

Aurora poked her head out of the door of the Ravenclaw house, looking for any ghosts or professors. When she deemed the coast clear, she slipped out from behind the door and softly closed it. She tip-toed her way from there all the way down to the library, constantly peeping around. She passed the library as quickly as possible and then made her way down to Professor Binns' classroom. She walked down the hallway still, counting the doors as she passed.

'One…two…three…four…five….six…ah! Seven.' She smiled and bit her lip as she opened the door slowly, wincing when it creaked. She froze, looking around before she felt a hand on her wrist yanking her into the abandoned classroom. She held her breath, forcing herself not to 'eep'. She heard the door close behind her and then she felt his lips on hers. She sighed softly, her arms wrapping around his neck. His hands rested on her hips as he backed her up against a cold stone wall. Her right leg slid up the side of his left, making him groan as he lifted her other leg. She wrapped them around his waist and moaned softly when he ground his arousal against her.

They began to let their hands roam each other's bodies, soft moans and mewls coming from her and strangled groans and grunts coming from him. Their lips parted. They had been meeting like this for the past month and a half. They'd snog and do some heavy petting for about an hour to an hour and a half, then they'd go back to their dormitories. The adrenaline rush that they got from sneaking around at night only heightened their sexual tension but Aurora always stopped it before it got out of hand.

"Sirius…" She mewled and dug her hands into his hair as he began to suck and kiss at her neck.

"SIRIUS BLACK! MISS BADEAU!?" Aurora shrieked and dropped her legs from Sirius' hips, her eyes wide and her cheeks crimson in color as her hands covered her mouth and nose. Sirius groaned and turned towards the booming voice. There in the door way stood a flustered Professor McGonagall. "OUT NOW!" McGonagall screeched and Sirius' sighed heavily.

He and Aurora shuffled out of the room and followed McGonagall up to Flitwick's office. She made them sit in front of the desk in his office before she went and got the little Ravenclaw Head of House and walked back into the room with him. He waddled over to his desk and hopped into his chair. Aurora had to squeeze Sirius' knee to keep him from laughing at the little man with the little fuzzy, pointed pajama hat atop his little head.

He stared at them, blinking in confusion. "What is going on, Minerva?" He squeaked and McGonagall huffed.

"I caught _your_ Head Girl and Black here in an abandoned classroom together!"

"And?" He squeaked again.

"And?! And they were…they were…"

"Snogging?" Sirius put in for her. McGonagall hit his head and Aurora slapped his knee, her cheeks reddening. He winced and rubbed both his head and his knee, shooting glares at his teacher as well as his girlfriend.

"Aurora? You were breaking curfew?"

"Professor, I'm so sorry! It'll never happen again, I swear!" Aurora rushed to assure him, sounding a bit panicked, but he held up a tiny hand. She fell silent, wringing her hands in her lap.

"It has never happened before so I assume that this meeting was his idea…Not much we can do about raging teenage hormones, Minerva! But nonetheless, you both broke rules…"

"Professor Flitwick, please, please don't revoke my badge—"

"Why would I revoke your badge? Like I said, this is the first time you've ever broken a rule…well, at least been caught at breaking one. No, no, Miss Badeau, you will keep your badge but fifty points from Ravenclaw will have to suffice."

Aurora let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Thank you, Professor."

"And a hundred points from Gryffindor!" McGonagall spat out. Sirius started, turning to glare up at her.

"What?! Why? Ravenclaw only got fifty taken!"

"Because you were the instigator, Mr. Black!"

"Why am I always the instigator?" He grumbled and Aurora patted his knee.

"Now…off to bed with the both of you!" She shooed them out of the office. Aurora waited till the door was closed before she looked at Sirius sadly.

"I guess there's no doing this anymore…" She said softly as they began to trudge back to the staircases. He sighed heavily.

"Yeah, guess so…" He squeezed her hand when she reached out and entwined her fingers with his. He smiled slightly at her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her as they walked back to the stairs in silence.

* * *

Thanks to azorianxxx for the first review! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the two new chapters! –Siriusgrl88 


	18. A Kiss Beneath a Tree

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley J

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

They all sat outside together beneath the great tree next to the lake one sunny afternoon during May. Peter was being taught by Remus to perform the Patronus charm while everyone else watched or had separate conversations. Pippa and Aurora watched Remus and Peter while Lily and James were busy giggling and cuddling, not noticing anything but each other, and Sirius wasn't with them yet.

"No, Peter. Watch," Remus gently scolded, showing the chubby boy the correct way to use his wand for the Patronus Charm. Peter tried it but it went a bit wrong and he was sent flying backwards a couple of feet. Aurora and Pippa tried not to laugh as Remus went to Peter and helped the blushing boy up. Just as Peter stood up, Sirius plopped down right between Aurora and Pippa, draping his arms around their shoulders, grinning widely at them. Both girls gave him a skeptical look. Before they knew it, there was a live newt in Pippa's pink streaked hair. She shrieked, grabbing the newt and tossing it in the air. She was up and after Sirius within seconds.

Aurora gently caught the little newt and then let it go, watching it waddle through the grass, narrowly being missed by one of Sirius' feet as he ran around the tree, trying to keep away from Pippa.

"You little shit! Get back here!"

"Oho no! I don't trust you!" He called over his shoulder. Pippa fumed.

"Me?! I wasn't the one putting a newt in anyone's hair!"

"You sure?"

"YES!"

"How?"

"Because it was my hair! Now stop playing around and get over here!" Aurora giggled when Sirius yelped and ducked as Pippa sent a jinx at his head. He ran around the tree again before diving down to Aurora and somehow wiggled his way between her and the tree. Pippa came around the tree, wand pointed at Aurora, who went cross eyed to look at the wand's tip before she looked up at Pippa like she were insane. "Move, Aurora. He deserves to be jinxed!"

"No, no, no. Please protect me," he pleaded, his voice muffled against her back.

"Sirius, just apologize to Pippa about the newt and maybe she'll let you off."

"Yeah right!" James stated, laughing heartily. Aurora shot him a half-hearted glare. Remus, Peter, James and Lily were all staring at Pippa, Sirius, and Aurora now.

"Pippa, will you let Sirius apologize and not jinx him?" Pippa looked thoughtful for a few seconds.

"Fine," she gave in after Aurora added her pout-y lip and puppy dog eyes. She crossed her arms, wand still in hand, one foot tapping the ground while a blonde eye brow rose in impatience. Aurora moved away from Sirius a little bit to let him out. He slowly stood and opened his mouth.

"I'm….NOT sorry! Ha!" And he was off again, Pippa hot on his heels. Aurora laughed and rolled her eyes as Lily and James, Remus and Peter all joined her in laughing. Aurora laid out on the grass next to the tree as Remus and Peter went back to practicing and Lily and James talked to each other a few minutes later. Aurora watched the clouds float by slowly, a gentle breeze teasing the leaves on the tree branches. She kept watching, briefly closing her eyes. She felt someone settle down next to her and she reopened her eyes and, instead of staring at the sky, was staring into Sirius' grey eyes.

He smiled down at her softly, his eyes twinkling as she blinked at him. "So…I haven't snogged you in quite a while, what with all the teachers around and watching us. May I?" He asked her, making her blush at him. Before she could respond, his lips were on hers. He kissed her gently as he leaned over her, his eyes closed. She shut hers too and returned his kiss, sighing softly. "I'm never letting you go," he whispered against her lips and she smiled. She reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him again, both smiling against each other's lips.

Lily and Aurora sat in Potions, talking over the cauldron that bubbled before them.

"So…You and Sirius are serious now?"

"Well, it has only been a month but…I really like him, Lil." Lily smiled at her and added some sprig leaves to the potion.

"I know. You two are so cute together. He's treated you better than any of your other boyfriends."

"Yeah, I know. He's helped me too," Aurora responded, adding a newt tail to the potion and then stirred it.

"Helped you with what?" Lily asked as she took some notes.

"With my parents' attack and my grandparents; all of that. You, Pippa, and Andromeda did too but it's nice to talk to someone who isn't you girls, you know? I mean, don't take it offensively, I just…It's a change. I always tell you girls everything; now I have someone new to tell everything. That doesn't mean I'm going to cut you out of my life, Lil."

Lily giggled and patted her friend's hand reassuringly before adding one toad eye and one raven feather to the potion. Aurora stirred it four times, counterclockwise. The potion bubbled a little bit more before turning a creamy white color. Professor Slughorn walked to there table and smiled wide, clapping his hands together.

"They've done it again, class! Miss Badeau and Miss Evans have made a perfect potion. Fifty points awarded to Ravenclaw and fifty points awarded to Gryffindor," he called out to everyone. The whole class cheered and beamed at them. Slughorn turned back to the girls, still smiling. "Smartest witches in your year, you two are! I'll be sad to see you go but I know you'll both go far." He pulled his wand out and, with a flick of his wrist, had the potion in a bottle and on his desk. With the cauldron clean, Aurora and Lily sat back and waited for the period to end; they still had an hour and a half left. They talked about many things and giggled about some. James and Sirius were the next pair to finish and when they were done, they snuck over to their girlfriends.

James gently grabbed Lily's waist and had her stand up. He took her seat and had her sit on his lap and Sirius did the same to Aurora. Lily played fondly with James unruly hair and Aurora kissed Sirius' cheek affectionately. The four talked quietly until everyone was done. The whole class finished their potions early and now all of them mingled together, laughing and talking. Today was their last day in Potions. Slughorn watched on as the seventh years had some last fun together. None of them knew that this would be the last time some of them would see each other.


	19. More Terrible News

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley J

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Aurora followed her friends to the Hogsmeade Train. Lily and Aurora all looked back at the castle, sighing softly to themselves. Aurora would be coming back the next year. She had asked Dumbledore if she could have a year off to get her life situated and settled. He had said yes and allowed her a year to get everything in order. Holly and Nicola were already at Tim's. Aurora and Italia were on their way to them now. Italia had gotten sick when Holly and Nicola had left, otherwise she would have been there too.

Aurora picked Italia up and balanced her on her hip as she held Angel's leash in her other hand. Angel purred loudly, blinking lazily up at Aurora. She felt a strong hand on her lower back and looked up to her left and smiled at Sirius as he grinned at her.

"Need any help?"

"Would you take Angel for me?" He nodded and stooped down to pick the friendly feline up. Angel rubbed her head under his chin and licked at his chin as she purred. He chuckled and helped Aurora onto the train and into a compartment. He sat down next to her after she had placed the wide awake Italia on her own seat. Italia pet Angel as the cat purred even louder and laid on the little girl's lap.

Two hours into the trip, Italia had fallen asleep as well as Angel. Angel was lying on her back, her front paws bent up into the air, her back legs spread out. Aurora giggled as she played with Sirius' black hair, his head lying in her lap. He too was asleep. Or so she thought. As she gazed out the wind, still absentmindedly teasing his hair, Sirius had cracked open an eye and grinned when he saw that Italia had gone to sleep. He slowly sat up and looked into Aurora's smiling face. She was looking at him now. He was speechless as he gazed at her. He thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen with the afternoon sun shining in through the window, making her hair glow softly around her head like a halo and her eyes looked at him happily.

He realized then that he wanted her in his life for as long as he could have her. He leaned into her, kissing her as his hands rested on either side of her hips. He hardened the kiss and she responded to him, opening her lips slightly. He took the invitation and deepened the kiss, making her moan very softly. He gently pushed her back onto the cushioned seat and laid on top of her, his elbows supporting him. Her hands moved up his sides and chest to his neck and jaw as she helped deepen the kiss even further. Her legs came up to his sides, her knees in the air as she let him rest between her shapely thighs.

He groaned as one of his hands slid down to her hips. He rested that hand there and the other slid into her hair, angling her head so he could kiss her even better. Before long, the train slowed to a stop and Sirius pulled up from the kiss for air. Both panted heavily as they stared at each other. He gulped and sat up, backing up as well. Aurora was relieved to see that Italia was still asleep but she blushed when Angel looked at her with her half-mast green/amber eyes. Sirius ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head as he grinned crookedly at Aurora. Aurora giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek as Lily, James, Pippa, Remus, and Peter came to get them. Aurora woke Italia up and led her and Angel out of the train and through the barrier separating her magical world from her muggle world. She hugged Lily and Pippa first.

"Pippa, I'll see you at the end of your last year at Hogwarts," Aurora told her and Pippa grinned. Aurora hugged Remus and they all waved as Remus and Pippa walked off to meet their parents.

"Well, my parents and sister are here," Lily stated a bit reluctantly. Aurora hugged her tight and whispered to her.

"Lily, we have to see each other again soon. Keep in touch until then." Lily nodded and then pulled away. She was in tears when she hugged James, her arms hooking under his as he wrapped his muscular arms around her waist and he kissed her neck. Lily left, constantly looking over her shoulder to wave at them, but soon she was gone too, leaving James, Sirius, and Aurora alone together.

"Well, Sirius, I'll be over at the car with Mum and Dad. Don't take too long." James gave Aurora a quick but meaningful hug and then walked to his parents. Aurora watched him walk away before she looked up at a very serious Sirius. He almost looked like he was in pain. Her brows furrowed and she touched his face.

"Sirius, is something wrong?"

"When will I see you again?"

"I…I don't know. I'm going to Tim's for a few months, until I find my own place. I'll keep in touch, Sirius," she reassured him as she pulled him into a hug, one arm banded across his broad shoulders, her other hand at the base of his neck. He placed his face in the crook of her neck, his own arms wrapping around her slim waist. They held each other, eyes closed, for a few minutes before James' dad honked the horn of his car at them. Sirius grumbled but pulled away. He kissed her and then kissed her forehead before squeezing her hands and walking away. Aurora crossed her arms and watched him walk away. She smiled and waved at him when he looked at her one last time at the door of the car. He got in and the car drove off, leaving Aurora to herself.

She sighed heavily and turned to Italia, who whimpered and pointed to her left. Aurora turned and gasped as her eyes widened. There, not five yards away from her, stood Lord Voldemort in a black tux and tie. Muggles were walking by him, staring at him as if he were from a horror movie. Don't. Don't look at him! She wanted to shout at them all but her tongue was tied. She lifted Italia into her arms along with her cat, Angel. Angel hissed towards Voldemort as he began to approach Aurora.

She tucked Italia in tight against her and as she looked around, trying to find someone from the magical community; everyone was gone. Panic rose up in her chest to her throat. She looked back at him and nearly screamed when he stood right in front of her. She took an automatic step backwards. He smiled at her slightly, his cruel blue eyes gazing calmly down at her. She had to crane her neck slightly to glare up at him. He could smell her fear and he closed his eyes as she took in a deep whiff of it.

"Ahhhh…Fear." He began to circle around her and she followed him. "You look just like your mother. What's the matter, Aurora?" He went to reach out to touch her face but she hissed and moved out of his reach. His eyes sparked dangerously and he glared at her evilly. "That wasn't smart." He raised his hand up and went to hit her. Instead of his hand making contact with her skin, she was thrown backwards, Italia and Angel flying out of her arms. She landed hard on her back, her breath leaving her as she heard Italia cry out and whimper and she heard Angel hissing and yowling.

Aurora gasped for air, her lungs not filling up at all. She looked to her left for Italia and saw that Rodolphus Lestrange had her in his arms, his wand pointed at her head as she hung limply against him, her eyes on Aurora. The panic was becoming more prominent as she struggled to suck in air. She then looked to her right and saw Fenrir Greyback practically strangling her cat/kneazle mix. Aurora heard Voldemort's slow footsteps and looked up at him, their blue eyes locking. He kneeled down to her, his hand gently touching her soft cheek. She forced herself to look at him and was finally regaining her breath back when she felt a sharp pain in her head. She shrieked and squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to force him out of her mind.

He was pulling on every memory, every feeling she ever felt. She saw her parents smiling faces, her brothers when they were teens and still in Hogwarts. She saw memories of a summer vacation in Egypt, the pyramids behind her mother as she looked at Aurora, laughing. She saw Lily and Andromeda at the tree by the lake. They were smiling and laughing with her. She saw Pippa with Severus, holding each other's hands as they waved behind them at Aurora. She saw James and Lily cuddling and talking in Potions, Andromeda hexing a fifth year boy for placing a snake in her book bag. She saw Sirius. He was grinning. Then she saw them arguing about whether animagi should be illegal or not in Transfiguration during their fifth year. Then she saw them snogging on the train right before they had gotten to King's Cross.

More memories of classes and teachers and Dumbledore surfaced. She was remembering sobbing after the news about her parents and then her grandparents. She saw the argument between her and Tim about Alfred. Aurora was writhing in pain. She felt cold and sweaty. She heard Italia crying and Angel hissing. Italia… Memories of when her sisters were born. NO!

"NO!" She screamed, sitting up. She placed her hands against his chest, her narrowed eyes glaring into his slightly surprised ones. She felt her hands tingle and them a sharp, blue color left them and went into his chest. He yelled as he was launched backwards from her, his back and head hitting a pillar hard. She panted, her eyes wild as she shook. She stood quickly, grabbing her wand from her pants. She pointed it at him, her eyes blazing hotly.

"You BASTARD!?" She yelled at him. He was starting to look very pissed off. She looked to her left from the corner of her eyes and silently used the expelliarmus spell on Fenrir. He roared as he was sent flying away, her cat dropping onto her paws. She hissed at Voldemort, her ears pinned back as she slowly approached Aurora, stopping just behind her.

Rodolphus spoke up. "Put your wand down, you silly girl, or the little one gets it!" Aurora turned to him and was about to hex him when Voldemort came up behind her, placing his hand over her mouth. She screamed but it was muffled against his hand. She felt his hot breath on her cheek and shut her eyes tight.

"Aurora…Tsk tsk…You should know better then to attack me and then turn your back on me," he whispered into her ear.

"Let her go now, Tom!" She heard from her left and felt him tense. She took the opportunity and jabbed him in the gut before yanking free and running at Rodolphus. The Death Eater glared at her but dropped Italia as Aurora lunged for him. She knocked him down and punched him hard in the face before rolling away from him. She stood quickly and grabbed Italia, Disapparating; she Apparated next to Cornelius Fudge and behind Dumbledore, as she knelt down to Angel when the cat came running to her. Dumbledore was there now so she felt a hell of a lot safer. She watched the two men glare at each other, both wands pointed at the other. She looked down at the crying Italia and gently pet her head, whispering to her softly that everything was going to be ok now. She looked back up at Voldemort and they once again made eye contact.

"You will lose everyone you hold dear, Aurora. I've already taken care of your mother, father, grandparents, and brother. Next will be your friends and sisters and your lover." With that, he, Fenrir, and Rodolphus all Disapparated. Aurora looked confused but chose to not believe him completely. She stood and looked at Dumbledore.

"How did you know he was here?"

"Your sister Holly," Dumbledore told her. Aurora suddenly looked confused and felt even more confused.

"How would Holly know?"

"Come, Aurora; we're going to St. Mungo's."

* * *

Thanks to StellaMcny for adding me to your Favorite Author list! I really, really appreciate it and I'm thrilled that you like the story! Siriusgrl88


	20. St Mungo's

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Aurora walked into St. Mungo's, following Dumbledore closely. She gulped when she saw the pristine white walls of the hospital. 'I don't think I'm ready to see Mum…' She thought as they went to the front desk. Dumbledore got visitor badges for them and she followed him again. She was a bit relieved that Italia wasn't here and that Fudge had taken her back to Hogwarts. As they walked up stairs and passed healers, Aurora had a feeling that her mum wasn't the only one she was visiting that day. 

Dumbledore stopped her in the middle of a hall. She noted that the door to their left read "Hexing Ward" and the door to their right read "Jinxing Ward". Dumbledore turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes. "Aurora, your mother is four doors down but just next to her ward is a ward called 'Victims Ward'. This ward is specifically for victims of just two of the unforgivable curses, victims that are not insane."

"What are you getting at, Professor?"

He just sighed and took her wrist in his hand and led her to the "Victims Ward." He knocked and a slider on the door opened, a young trainee looking out at them. "Who is it?"

"Albus Dumbledore and Aurora Badeau. We're here to see Holly and Nicola Badeau." The slider slid back and then the door opened and Aurora walked in hurriedly. She looked around and spotted her sister Holly and ran to her. When she reached Holly's bedside, she grasped the ten year olds hand in her own.

"Holly?" She whispered, her voice wavering with fright. Holly was asleep, her breathing steady. Aurora looked up at Dumbledore and asked with her eyes. Dumbledore was frowning as he sat down on Holly's other side.

"He went there last night, Aurora. Voldemort went to Tim's house."

"Where are the others?"

"Nicola is in that curtained off bed. She's a little bit worse than Holly here."

"And Tim? Thekla? What about them?"

"Aurora…I'm sorry."

"No, not again; please Professor, tell me they aren't dead too." Aurora felt as if the walls of St. Mungo's were crashing down around her. First it was her father and her grandparents; now it was her brother, his wife, and their two babies? 'I don't know how much more of this I can take…' She had been feeling stretched, almost weak the last couple of weeks.

"We found them late this morning, a good hour and half after you had left Hogwarts. Tim was gone when we got there. Thekla died only an hour after she arrived here. Holly and Nicola are the only survivors of the attack," he said as gently as he could. Aurora's eyes filled with tears for the umpteenth time that year but this time she held them back.

"Even the boys…?"

"Even Alexander and Maximus were killed." Aurora sucked in a ragged breath as she felt her sister's hand squeeze her own. Aurora looked down at Holly and almost cried out when she saw Holly's big blue eyes stared up at her through swollen lids.

"'Ror…a"

"Yes, Holly, it's me. It's Aurora. I'm here now. Everything is going to be ok." She was surprised that her voice was so calm and steady as she brushed Holly's bangs out of her eyes.

* * *

Aurora stayed with Holly and Nicola all night with Dumbledore right by her side. Holly had fallen back to sleep only an hour after waking and Nicola was still out cold when 6 am rolled around. Aurora had passed out in the chair next to Nicola's bed around 4 am, her chin being propped up on her fist, her legs tucked beneath her in the chair. Around 8 am, she felt a gentle nudging on her left arm. She opened her groggy eyes and blinked a few times before looking up at Dumbledore. 

"I had someone you know and care about come to comfort you." He led her out of the room and into the hallway. It took Aurora only a second to see Sirius. She burst into tears and ran to him, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. Sirius looked at Dumbledore as Aurora sobbed.

"What exactly happened, Professor?"

"Her brother Tim and his family were killed last night. Holly and Nicola are in that room. They're badly injured," the older man explained and Sirius became very grim as he turned his attention back to his girlfriend. He gently stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head as he held her and whispered to her. 'She's gone through so much lately. This is more than anyone could bear.' He suddenly became very worried for her mental and emotional condition and slowly led her back into the ward holding her sisters.

He sat her down in the chair she had slept in and then pulled another chair up in front of her. He sat down and looked her straight in the face, his face grim and his eyes carrying concern.

"Sirius, I'm not going to go insane, if that's what you're thinking," Aurora mumbled and sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "I've just been through a lot this last year. I'll be fine though. I have to be; for my sisters." She saw that he visibly relaxed and he sighed softly. He placed a strong yet gentle hand on her knee and she reached down, squeezing it. "Thank you for coming. I needed you here," she whispered to him and he smiled.

"Nothing can keep me away from you, Aurora, at least not for long," he said quietly as he squeezed her hand back. Aurora smiled and knew that her life would never be the same ever again but she wasn't afraid to see what was going to happen in her future. If Sirius was by her side, she would fear nothing.


	21. His Secret Revealed

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Aurora sat next to Holly as she slept; she had been in and out of consciousness for the better half of the day and Aurora had been dividing her time up between watching and talking to Holly and spending some time with Sirius as Nicola remained in a coma. Nicola was in surgery now and Holly slept soundly again. The swelling in her face had gone down dramatically over the last week and a half but the Healers and Mediwizards/Mediwitches said that neither girl were ready to leave for another two weeks. Aurora had asked Professor McGonagall to watch after Italia for the time being and Minerva had agreed.

Aurora sighed and scanned the newspaper pages for a house for sale that was affordable. She was looking through the Wizarding Real Estate newspaper at the moment. She frowned whenever she found a good house but was disappointed when it was too expensive. Oh, Aurora wasn't broke, that was for damn sure. Her mother and brother Tim had left her all of their money in the unlikely chance that everyone before her had died or had become incapacitated. Sadly, those unlikely events had occurred and now she was sitting on a huge pile of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.

And her father and grandparents had left her quite a bit of inheritance in the muggle world too. No, Aurora was very well off, she just didn't want to waste any of it. In the chance that she herself was killed, she needed the rest of the money to go to Holly, Nicola, and Italia. Sirius came back into the room and sat down next to her, handing her a hot mug of coffee. Aurora wrinkled her nose at it but desperately needed the caffeine so she took it and took a sip of the bitter coffee.

"Eck!" Sirius chuckled at her as she made a face. She continued to look for houses and nearly dropped her mug when she saw it. 'The perfect house!' She thought as she read about it. 'Two story house. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, large kitchen and dining room. Living room and Family room are large, both with fireplaces. Backyard is quite large; it's all grass but has a little section that is a vegetable garden and flowers surround the entire backyard and front yard. Front yard is smaller but still pretty spacious. Black wrought iron fence surrounds front yard but tall wooden fence encloses the backyard.'

"Sirius! It's perfect!" She cried softly as she leaned towards him, showing him the picture of the beautiful Victorian house. "Read it; it's absolutely perfect." He read it quickly and grinned up at her.

"It is and it's affordable," he answered. "And it's on Rowena Walk, not too far from Godric's Hollow; it's sure to be safe for you and the girls." She gave out a little, high pitched squeal and lunged at him, her arms wrapping around his neck. He laughed and hugged her back. Lily walked in and watched in confusion. James walked in behind her and looked happy.

"I think something good finally happened," he whispered to Lily and Lily slowly approached her friends.

"What's going on, Aurora?"

"I found it! I found the perfect house, Lil!" Aurora said to her, beaming as she pulled away from Sirius and handed Lily the ad. Lily read it and laughed happily. Aurora stood and Lily hugged her. The two girls giggled and cheered as they jumped up and down before a Healer came in and shushed them. When the Healer had walked out, the little group laughed together.

"What's going on?" Aurora turned to the voice and walked to Holly's bedside, smiling still. She held out the ad and let Holly read it. The young girl looked back up at Aurora and had hope written across her face. "Is that our new house?"

"Yes. I know you want to stay at the London house, but Voldemort knows where it is. It's not safe anymore," she explained to Holly. Holly nodded in understanding and handed the ad back to her. "I'm sorry, Holly."

"It's not your fault. It's his. Damn him!" Everyone became very quiet, smiles fading.

"Holly, watch your language."

"No! He's the one who betrayed us! He deserves to suffer! I hate him!" Holly shouted at Aurora. Aurora kneeled down and looked up at Holly in worried confusion.

"Who does, Holly?"

"Alfred."

* * *

"My Lord, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did, Alfred. Remove your mask now," Voldemort ordered. Alfred reached up with his wand and removed said mask, his handsome face looking dark and shadowed by the firelight. "You've done very well, nephew."

Al bowed slightly, his face stony. "I'm happy to service you, my Lord."

"As you should be," Voldemort smiled at Al as he stood back up. Voldemort approached him, both arms behind his back. "How do you feel about your first kill, Alfred?"

"I am happy to have finally been initiated into the Knights of Walpurgis," he responded almost robotically. His uncle smirked at him and nodded as he turned away and walked a few steps from him. Alfred felt Nagini slither around his ankles and then over to her lord. She wasn't very big for a python; no longer than a yard and a half.

"I'm overjoyed about having you on my side, Alfred. You are a true part of our great family. I think you know what else I want of you, Alfred."

Alfred was quiet for a moment. He had been guilt ridden about giving his parents to Voldemort but wasn't so guilt ridden when he gave his uncle his grandparents. And he had actually taken pleasure in murdering his brother and sister-in-law. He was lucky that Rodolphus killed the boys and that Travers had tortured the girls. He couldn't do it. He knew he couldn't because they were all so young. And yes he knew what was about to be asked of him; his sisters, all four of them. He might be able to kill Aurora but Holly, Nicola, and Italia were a different story. Alfred stared at the floor, conflicted.

"Alfred?" At his uncle's voice, his head snapped up and he looked straight into Voldemort's cruel, cold eyes. "You know what I'm about to ask of you, yes?"

Alfred nodded, swallowing a little too hard. "You want my sisters killed."

"No. No, not killed, Alfred. I want them brought to me so I can kill your younger sisters right in front of Aurora. And then I'll let you have the honors of ending her life. If you don't bring them to me, Alfred, your little woman will suffer. What's her name again? Marlene McKinnon? Ah yes, Marlene," Voldemort went to his nephews side and draped one arm across Alfred's shoulders as he led Al over to the window to look out at cemetery that lay out behind the house; his grandparents' house, Alfred's great-grandparents' house. "You don't want anything to happen to her, correct?"

Alfred shook his head. "No, sir."

"Then bring me your sisters; all four of them," Voldemort squeezed the back of Alfred's neck hard and smirked when the young man winced. He let him go and put his hand back behind his back as Alfred left the room, calling on Lucius, Alecto, Amycus, and Fenrir.


	22. Confrontation at St Mungo's

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

It was dark in the Victims Ward; only a few candles were lit in the room, casting a warm glow upon everything in it. Aurora sat up in her chair by Nicola's bed, gently chewing on her thumb nail. She was deep in thought as Sirius snored softly on the couch. James and Lily had stayed too and they were cuddled up on a large cot while Remus and Peter sat against the wall. Peter snored, his head thrown back against the wall, his mouth wide open. Remus' head was bent forward, his hair hiding his face. His right arm was resting atop his knee in front of him, his left leg stretched out on the floor. 

Andromeda couldn't make it because she had gone into hiding with her husband, Ted Tonks, and their daughter, Nymphadora. But Dumbledore had told Andromeda while he visited and she had written a letter to Aurora and gave it to Albus, who had given it recently to Aurora. The letter was filled with her "greatest regrets and overwhelming sympathy as well as her condolences."

'I'll have to write her later…' Aurora thought with a small sigh.

Aurora was in a trance like state thinking about her brother and her deceased family. 'Why would you do this, Al?' She thought and then blinked and jumped a bit when a loud bang came from down the hallway. She heard the voices of some of the Healers and some other voices that sounded angry and demanding. She slowly stood; her suspicious eyes on the door to the Victims Ward. She noticed out of the corner of her eyes that everyone was stirring. Remus was by her side, his hand reaching out to gently grab her wrist. She looked back at him and he shook his head, asking her silently to not go to the door. She frowned and gently shook him off before she went to the door. She was breathing hard she realized as she reached out for the handle. Her nimble fingers grasped the handle and turned it slowly.

The door opened with a soft click and she peeked her head out to look at what was happening in the hallway. It was dimly lit, just like the room, but she could see bodies lying in the hall. Her breath hitched and she looked up to see six Death Eaters making their way towards her.

"There!" One yelled and she froze as the female Death Eater pointed towards her. Five of them raised their wands and pointed them at her, but the leader raised his hand for them to hold.

"Wait."

"But-" The other Death Eaters began to protest.

"Just wait!" He snapped and she recognized his voice.

"Alfred?" Aurora questioned aloud. He looked at her and then removed his mask with his wand. He wasn't smiling.

"Aurora, come here," he beckoned her. She stepped out of the room and heard Lily protest with Remus and Sirius. She glanced back and put her hand out, telling them to stay in the room. She slowly approached her brother, looking up at him questioningly.

"Alfred, what's going on? Why are you dressed as a Death Eater?" She was hoping that he wasn't willingly doing all of this.

"He just wants us to join him, Aurora. That's all. Don't fight like Tim and Thekla did. Please," he pleaded softly to her. Her eyes were becoming harder by the second.

"Why would you do that, Alfred? Why would you kill your own brother and sister-in-law?" He bowed his head and rubbed his forehead, sighing heavily.

"You don't understand…you never will."

"Make me understand, Alfred. Tell me why you did all of this."

"Do you know what it's like to live in your twin's shadow? Tim this, Tim that. I was sick of it, Aurora. He had the job and the wife and the kids; the skills sand talents. I want that but I'm not allowed because I'm not good enough."

"Bullshit," she stated simply. He glared at her and she could see anger sparking in his eyes. "Tim had all of that because he strove for it. What have you done with your life, Al? You almost flunked out of Hogwarts; you got a dead-end job at Flourish and Blotts. You don't pursue women correctly, Alfred! You seek them out so you can have a quick shag! If you want a wife, you don't go find the first hooker you find out on the street corner!" She cried out when the back of his hand connected with her cheek. Sirius was out the door in less than a second, his wand pointed right in Alfred's face. Aurora paled and blocked Sirius as one of the Death Eaters sent a jinx at him. It hit Aurora right in the chest and she cried out when she felt the most excruciating pain pierce her throughout her body like knives.

She barely heard Lily call out to her and James, Remus, and Peter come out to stand between her and the Death Eaters. Remus hit the Death Eater who was using the Cruciatus Curse on Aurora with a stunning spell, making him lose his connection. Aurora gasped for air and looked up at her crying friend. Aurora stood shakily and grabbed Lily's hand before she pulled her friend into the room.

"Lily…" Aurora gasped. "You have to get the girls out of here."

"What?"

"You have to get the girls out of here," Aurora repeated as she heard Peter squeal out in pain. She pulled Lily to her and whispered in her ear the place she should head to. Lily nodded, knowing its whereabouts. "Go."

"But…I can't just leave you all here! And they're not fit for travel!"

"Lily, I have to protect those girls! I am briefly passing that duty to you for the time being. I _will_ come to get them later and I _will_ make sure the guys are with me, alright? If they stay here, they'll be worst off than they are now…" Lily nodded, looking very frightened. "Now go!" She shoved Lily towards the girls and watched as she ran to Nicola and pulled her out of bed before going to Holly and doing the same to her. They then Disapparated, vanishing before Aurora's eyes just as Sirius yelped. Aurora straightened herself up and pulled her wand from her pants as she turned and stepped back out of the room.

She raised her wand and aimed it at her brother, screaming "_EXPELLIARMUS_!"

Alfred yelled and flew backwards into the other Death Eaters. Peter stood up on shaky legs and Aurora went to Sirius, checking his head for any injuries.

"I'm fine," he groaned and Aurora glared half-heartedly at him. "Get out of here."

"No." She stood and helped him up, her wand pointed at her brother again. "Alfred, tell your 'dark lord' that I won't let him have the girls. He'll have to kill me first," she warned in a deadly voice as she supported Sirius against her, her free arm banded around the middle of his back. Alfred groaned as he began to get up. He looked at her, a mixed expression of fury and fear.

"That's what he wants, Aurora! If you come with me now, I might be able to convince him to spare you! If you don't, he will stop at nothing to destroy you!"

"I won't go with you! How can I trust you, Alfred?! How can I trust him!? You gave up about half of your family just because you were jealous of your twin brother! No, Alfred, I will never trust you ever again and I will_ not_ trust Voldemort. I refuse to go with you to him."

"She dare speak his name?!" One Death Eater cried out, sounding furious.

"Yes, I do! Fear of a name increases fear of the _thing_ itself! I don't fear him like you do. Make sure you tell him that, Al." She turned to James and Remus. "Get out of here now." They nodded reluctantly when they realized that she wouldn't take no for an answer and grabbed Peter and ran for the room. She heard three pops and knew they were gone. She looked up at Sirius and smiled weakly at him. He kissed her forehead and then glared ahead at the six Death Eaters.

"Don't do this, Aurora! I don't want you to suffer the way…" he hesitated and Aurora's eyes narrowed.

"The way what, Alfred? The way our mum did? Yeah, feel guilty, Alfred. It's your fault she's crazy. It's your fault the rest of them are dead," she said bitterly. Suddenly lights flickered on and more voices were heard coming from the lower floors. They all waited silently, wondering if it were Death Eaters hurrying up the steps or if it was the Ministry on their way. When Aurora saw the female Death Eater fall after a jinx hit her, she knew it was the Ministry. The other five Death Eaters Disapparated, but not before Alfred glared over his shoulder at her. She glared right back. She relaxed and buried her face in Sirius' chest as Fudge and his squad ran into the hallway.

* * *

Thanks to .jack.is.my.lover. for the Favorite Story add! I really appreciate it! -Siriusgrl88 


	23. New Beginnings and a New Fight

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Maurine Baxton led Sirius and Aurora into the old house on a very warm, sunny early August afternoon, her clip board clutched in her chubby hands. She looked towards the ceiling and smiled as she turned to Sirius and Aurora. She noted that they must have been married because they were constantly touching each other and acting much like a pair of young newlyweds.

"Oh Sirius…its perfect! The girls will love it." Maurine blushed. 'A young couple with children already.'

"How many children do the two of you have?" Aurora and Sirius looked at her, startled. Aurora blushed and laughed.

"No, my younger sisters. Sirius and I aren't married, we're just dating," Aurora explained. Maurine seemed a bit relieved but Sirius frowned slightly as he stood behind Aurora. "We're too young to be married and settled down with kids. Well, I'm buying it." Maurine clasped her hands together and grinned.

"Fabulous!"

Aurora beamed at Sirius who barely smiled in return. She gave him a slightly concerned look before she pulled out the amount for the house from her purse. She handed it to Maurine, who took it happily. "Now, I just need you to sign here, here, here, here, and here," she told Aurora as she handed the clipboard to her, pointing to each line with a pudgy index finger. Aurora took her pen and signed where she needed to. "It's all yours now! Well, good luck moving in my dear! Thank you!" And she Disapparated. Aurora looked over at Sirius.

"Would you mind getting the girls for me?" He nodded quickly and turned to walk out of the house. "Sirius…" He turned back to her when she called his name and she smiled softly at him. "I'm happy."

He knew what she meant and he grinned at her before he left and Disapparated in the front yard; not afraid to because any muggles on the street were married into wizarding families. Aurora walked out and shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. She looked into the sky and then around the quiet neighborhood. She had her own house at eighteen years old, with three little girls moving in with her. Aurora couldn't help the feeling of maternity that swelled in her bosom. She smirked and walked to the truck that had all of the things from the old house in it. She began to load it all into the house, using her wand to help with the heaviest things. Old Mrs. Curlington waved at her from her porch as her old husband walked out and served her with some lemonade. Aurora smiled and waved back at them.

When she was done with her unpacking, Sirius arrived with the girls, via broomsticks. She helped with Italia's things but let Nicola and Holly put their own things in their new rooms. Nicola looked at Aurora with an unsatisfied look.

"Why does Holly get her own room and I have to share mine with Italia?" Aurora looked at her, feeling an alarming feeling rear its head inside of her. She grasped Nicola's shoulders and got down to eye level with the nine year old.

"Don't ever be jealous of Holly or Italia or me. You will find your own niche in this world and you will be happy. I promise you that. I will make sure that you are always safe and protected and happy. Don't ever be like Alfred." Nicola nodded, understanding the meaning behind her older sister's words. Aurora hugged her tight and then let her go. She let the girls get situated as she walked outside into the front yard. She walked up behind Sirius and hugged him, her hands splaying against his chest. He gently grasped her hands in his stronger, larger ones and he kissed her fingertips. "What are you thinking?"

"About us."

"Mmmm…Really?"

"Yeah." She looked in the direction he was gazing at and saw that he was watching Mr. and Mrs. Curlington as they sat on their porch. The old woman was giggling and patting her husband's knee as she sipped on her lemonade. He was beaming at her, his old eyes twinkling merrily. Aurora's breath hitched. She suddenly felt that she and Sirius were feeling the same thing as she watched the older couple.

"Sirius…"

"Hear me out, Aurora," he turned in her arms and hooked a finger under her chin, making her look up at him. "I know we're young and that this relationship is young. But we've known each other since we were eleven years old. I feel like I know you better than anyone and that you know and understand me better than anyone. Is it so crazy to get married?"

"_Yes_…Sirius, he will use it against us." He scowled and pulled away from her. He was tense. She sighed heavily. "I don't want you to get hurt, is a---"

"Damn it, Aurora! Stop worrying about me! You have enough to worry about with the girls!"

"I do worry about you, Sirius! He knows about us already; if we got married, he'd do anything to hurt you. He might even kill you, Sirius, just to get at me," she snapped, becoming irritated. She didn't notice that the girls were peeking out at them from one of the open windows upstairs or that Mr. and Mrs. Curlington were staring along with some other neighbors. "He's going to go after everyone I care about. That includes you, damn it! And why would you want to marry me anyway? My last brother is a Death Eater and my uncle is…him…" She didn't want anyone in the neighborhood knowing who her uncle was if they didn't already.

"If you cared so much about all of us and were afraid to have any of us get hurt or murdered, why do you surround yourself with all of us?!" He was jabbing low and Aurora almost felt the air leave her lungs. 'This is it. It's over.'

Her lip and chin trembled as she glared at him, her eyes showing the hurt that he just inflicted upon her. He went to speak again, to apologize, but she cut him off, raising her hand to silence him. "You're right," she said bitterly. "You're right. I'm being selfish. Excuse me for trying to keep an eye on my friends and family! You're right. If I leave you all alone, he won't go after any of you…"

"Aurora, that's not…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"Save it for someone who really cares, Sirius." She snapped before heading for her front door. She heard him jogging after her but she slammed the door on his face, locking it behind her. She rested her back against it and began to slowly cry when he started to bang on it, calling for her, asking her to come back out and that he was sorry. She slowly slid down the door until she sat on the cool tiles, her arms wrapping around her knees as she sobbed into them.

* * *

Pippa's jaw dropped as she read the parchment that Sirius had sent her. It's over? No way! Pippa hurried to her desk and began to write back, asking a lot of questions. Why? What happened? What did you do? What did she do? She sent the letter off only fives minutes after reading it. They have to be together…I can't see either one with someone else! She rushed to Remus' room and knocked on his door.

"Yes?"

"May I come in?" Pippa asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Sure."

She opened the door and walked in, shutting it quickly. "Did you get a letter yet?"

"From whom?" He asked as he continued writing his essay.

"Sirius."

"Yes, but I haven't been able to open it yet; I have something I have to write up for the Minster--"

"Open it!"

"I'm writing something!"

"Take a break, Remus!" She snapped as she handed him the envelope. He glared at her but sighed in defeat. He took it and opened it. As soon as he was finished reading it, he looked up at her with a deep frown.

"They've been having problems."

"Yeah…I sent him a letter back, asking him what happened and what not."

Remus nodded, still frowning. "Honestly, I'll be very surprised if they get back together."

Pippa's jaw dropped again and she hit her brother over his head with his pillow. "How can you say that?! Can you honestly see them with anyone else?"

"No, but I don't really see them together eith—"

"Remus Jonathan Lupin! What is wrong with you!? They're your friends!"

"I know that, Pippa! But they argue and get angry with each other most of the time! They can't have a long lasting relationship like that!"

"Oooooooo!" Pippa fumed and hit him once again over the head with his pillow before storming out of his room.

* * *

Thank you to JoyMichelle, kat183, zen-chic-78, getupandgo, BelleWeasley, and The Happy Stalker Ball for all of the adds and comments! I really, really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I'll update sometime next week! See ya then! -Siriusgrl88


	24. The Wedding

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

On Our Way (C) Christina Aguilera and what not.

Forgive me for the song. Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

In mid August of 1978, about three months after graduating from Hogwarts, Aurora was being walked down the aisle by Sirius, his arm linked in hers. They smiled as they walked down the white carpeted path set for them. Aurora was blushing lightly as she looked around, sending a small wave to Pippa and Remus, who both waved and smiled back. 

"You look beautiful, Aurora," Sirius complimented her as they got to the mid part of the aisle. She smiled and waved at Andromeda and Ted, who waved back. She looked up the aisle and saw little Nymphadora holding a basket half full of red rose petals. She was rubbing one shoe clad foot against the back of one small calve.

"You look quite handsome yourself, Sirius," Aurora whispered back. They fell into silence again as they reached the end of the aisle and she pulled away from him gently. She knelt down and hugged Nymphadora, who smiled and whispered that she was uncomfortable in the dress she was wearing. Aurora giggled softly and said that it was normal. She stood back up and got to where she needed to stand, facing Sirius. She blushed again and looked away and down the aisle. They were still on bad terms, after all.

Aurora beamed as she held a bouquet of white roses and pink Azaleas in her hands. She reached down with one hand and smoothed her light pink silk dress. James came ambling down the aisle, grinning from ear-to-ear. Aurora giggled as he hugged her and whispered in her ear.

"Thank you for coming, Rora." He kissed her cheek and she smiled up at him. She noticed that his tie was crooked and not tied right.

"Goodness, James, can't you even get the tie right?" She scolded him like a sister would. He blushed as she began to fix his tie. Everyone began to chuckle and giggle as James just shrugged his shoulders, looking sheepish. She finished fixing his tie and patted his chest gently, smiling up at him.

"Do I look presentable now?" he asked with a half smile.

"You look quite dashing," she answered and kissed his cheek before he turned and went to his spot on the other side of the preacher that stood just to their left.

She looked up as music began to play and two people stood at the end of the aisle. Lily, in a beautiful white wedding bell dress, had her father's arm linked in hers. They began the walk and Aurora looked over at the groom.

James' eyes were set on Lily, his grin even larger than it had been before, if that was possible. Aurora felt so happy for her friends. When Lily and her father finally reached the pew, the preacher asked, "Who gives this beautiful bride away?"

"We do," Lily's father and her mother said in unison. William lifted her veil and kissed her cheek before he gave James his daughter's hand. He sat down and Aurora saw him wipe a tear from his eye as his wife, Eleanor, patted his hand. At the end of the beautiful ceremony, everyone went to the dance floor, where the reception was being held. The cutting of the cake was first and then the Bride's and Groom's first dance. Before their dance though, Lily went to the microphone on the stage and smiled out at everyone.

"For my first dance with my new husband, I would like my best friends Aurora, Andromeda, and Pippa to come up here," she said into the mic. The three girls looked at each other and shrugged as they went to the stage and hugged Lily. "Aurora, my closest friend, my maid of honor, will you do the honor of singing the song for my first dance with my new husband?"

Aurora blushed and smiled. "Sure," she laughed and Andromeda and Pippa went to the back up mics, both laughing with each other. Aurora looked at them and then to Lily again. "Which song, Lil?" Lily leaned in and whispered the name of the song in her ear and Aurora blushed again. "One of mine? Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Lily said as she got off of the stage. Aurora smiled nervously and told the musicians what to play. They nodded, understanding. Aurora had been the best singer at Hogwarts, but she had always been nervous about singing in public. The band began to play and Aurora took a deep breath as she grasped the microphone stand with both of her hands. Lily and James went to the middle of the dance floor, James lifting their arms up as he held her hand and twirled her into him. Aurora began to sing, her melodist voice starting out soft.

"_Me and you_

_We're different_

_Don't always see eye to eye_

_You go left_

_And I go right_

_And sometimes we even fight_

_That don't mean that I won't need a friend, oh_

_You and me, we're in this 'til the end, oh_…"

James twirled Lily as everyone watched them and listened to Aurora's beautiful voice. Aurora felt Sirius' eyes on her and she tried to keep the blush down but she was becoming more comfortable with the mic and being on stage. Andromeda and Pippa joined in as she started the chorus. She started to even move around a little bit, moving her hips and smiling as she sang. She watched Lily and James as they moved so fluidly over the dance floor.

"_I think we're on our way_…" Pippa and Andromeda sang beautifully, and Aurora looked back at them, winking.

"_Through all the lows and highs_

_Need you by my side, singing_…" Aurora sang again.

"_I think we're on our way_…" Pippa and Andromeda chimed in again, slowly swaying from side to side.

"_To better days, better days, ooooh_…"

"_Let's say we turn the page_…"

"_Move on from all the times_

_Should've laughed not cried, feelin'_…"

"_What is there more to say_?"

"_I think that we're on our way_…" The girls sang together.

James mouthed 'I love you' to Lily and she did the same to him. People smiled and watched the happy couple, as Aurora continued, being joined by Andromeda and Pippa on only the second to last line.

"_Together we'll weather_

_Many storms as family_

_That bond is forever-er_

_Bigger than most anything_

_The love I feel for you grows everyday-ay_

_The more we get to learn from our mistakes, yeah yeah_…"

James swung Lily around and everyone cheered as Andromeda and Pippa continued with Aurora's song.

"_I think we're on our way_…" Pippa and Andromeda sang again.

"_Through all the lows and highs_

_Need you by my side, singing_…" Aurora winked down at Lily, smiling as she sang.

"_I think we're on our way_…"

"_To better days, better days, oh oooh_…" Aurora joined in again.

"_Let's say we turn the page_…"

"_Move on from all the times_

_Should've laughed not cried, feelin'_…" Aurora was really getting into the song again, swaying to the beat, her eyes closed.

"_What is there more to say_?"

"_I think that we're on our way_…" Aurora, Andromeda, and Pippa finished the chorus again.

James laughed and kissed Lily after she made a small joke. Andromeda and Pippa echoed Aurora for most of the next verse.

"_Someday soon, I'll need advice_

_Hope you're there to shed some light_

_And maybe one day_

_You'll be wanting mine_

_And we can, we can_

_Be there for each other, oooooooooh oooooooooooh ooooooooooooohhh oooooo_!" Aurora belted out, one hand holding the mic, the other sliding down the side of her hip as she closed her eyes. (A/N: I feel silly lol)

"_I think we're on our way_…" Pippa sang while Aurora sang out. At the same time Aurora was 'oohing', James dipped Lily and the crowd applauded them and Aurora.

"_I think we're on our way_…" Andromeda took her turn, winking at her husband.

"_Huh_…_I think we're on our way, yeah_…" Aurora chimed in after her harmonious outburst, a seductive smirk on her face.

"_Let's say we turn the page_…"

"_Move on from all the times_

_Should've laughed not cried_…"

"_What is there more to say_?"

"_I think we're on our way_…" Pippa and Andromeda sang again, slowly swaying from side to side.

"_I think we're on our way_…"

"_Through all the lows and highs_

_Need you by my side, yeah yeah_ …" Aurora sang alone.

"_I think that we're on our way_…" Pippa and Andromeda sang harmoniously together, smirking at each other.

"_To better days, better days, ooooh yeah_…" Andromeda sang by herself this time.

"_Let's say we turn the page_…" Pippa had her turn alone.

"_Move on from all the times_

_Should've laughed not cried_…" Aurora looked out into the crowd and waved slightly at Charlie and Nymphadora.

"_What is there more to say_?" Andromeda sang alone again.

"_I think that we're on our way_…" Pippa sang alone again.

"_Yeah_…_Oooooh oooohh_…

_No more to say_

_No more to say-ay_

_No more to say_…"

The music trailed off and softly ended. Aurora looked back at Andromeda and Pippa, who gave her thumbs up as they grinned. Aurora smiled back.

Aurora stopped singing, a large grin slowly growing on her face as she looked out into the crowd, blushing modestly. James, Lily, Aurora, Andromeda, and Pippa all bowed. Pippa went down the stairs of the stage, laughing as Remus clapped for her; Aurora was still on stage, talking to the band, as Andromeda was helped off of the three foot high stage by her husband, Ted, who twirled her around and hugged her to him.

"Thanks, you guys! You did an awesome job. It's just the way I always heard it in my mind," Aurora bubbled, her eyes sparkling. The lead singer of the band, a tall dark haired man smiled at her. He shook her hand and then led her to the front of the stage again, where he put on all of his charm and tried to win her over. Aurora blushed and smiled, giggling softly. He was leaning into her, whispering in her ear and she kept giggling. He was quite charming and very in tuned to her. But as he continued to crack jokes and charm her, she kept thinking about Sirius.

Sirius was turning blue in the face as he watched the pair. He felt jealousy and rage bubble in his blood. He didn't want to make a scene at his best mate's wedding but for God's sake, she was getting hit on by the lead singer of the band! He stood up and went to them, getting on the stage.

He grabbed her elbow and she whipped around to look at him. She looked puzzled and he looked angry. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Remus was walking to them as well as James and Peter.

"Sirius, what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"What?"

"Um…is this your boyfriend, Aurora?" The singer asked.

"No, Joshua; he's my _ex_-boyfriend," she put emphasis on the ex part and glared up at Sirius as he glared back down at her.

"We've only been apart for two weeks and you're already picking up other guys?"

"Sirius, last time I checked, we were over; for good. You can't play the jealous boyfriend anymore," Aurora snapped and James finally spoke up.

"Sirius, come on, let her go." Sirius looked down at James incredulously before he released Aurora, putting his hands up as he started to walk backwards. He jumped off of the stage and stormed off of the dance floor and made is his way out of the tent. Aurora's jaw clenched and unclenched before she finally made up her mind and followed him. She was very relieved that no one else had noticed the confrontation.

She found him in the kitchen of James' and Lily's new house. She stood facing him, glaring at the side of his face. He refused to look at her as he braced his arms on the rim of the sink, his jaw clenched hard.

"What's your problem, huh?! Who said you have any right to boss me around and tell me I can't date other men!?"

"No one, I guess!" He snapped, turning to look at her, his hip leaning against the sink now as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Exactly! So you can't go around getting jealous because guys start talking to me!"

"He only wants one thing from you, Aurora!"

"Oh really? And what is that, hmm?" her own arms were crossed beneath her chest now, her hips cocked to one side as she aimed her narrowed eyes at him.

"He just wants to get under your dress!" He snapped angrily and Aurora blushed, looking a bit horrified.

"And you just assumed that I would let him sleep with me!? I never even let you sleep with me, Sirius!"

"Aurora, he's a guy! It doesn't matter how long you put it off, he's going to pressure you and pester you until you give into him!"

"Well, even if that is his agenda, it's none of your business on how I run _my_ life, Sirius!"

"Yes it is!"

"Oh and how's that?!"

"Because you're mine!"

Aurora's face heated as she felt all the blood rush to her cheeks in anger. If looks could kill, Sirius would have been chopped up and sautéed on an open fire. He glared right back at her though and the match began. It only lasted for a few moments.

"Ooooooooooo!" Aurora huffed, looked around, grabbed an apple, and chucked it at his head. He ducked and yelled as she stormed out of the house and into the garden in the backyard. She composed herself and plastered a fake smile on her face before joining the reception again. Lily, Andromeda, and Pippa all made a beeline for her and she sighed heavily.

"What just happened?"

"Sirius…he's…ugh!" She threw her hands up in an exasperated manner before seating herself at one of the tables. Pippa sat down with her and Aurora explained everything to her while Lily went to be with her husband and Andromeda went to find Nymphadora.

"He's impossible," Pippa sighed heavily and shrugged at Aurora who was still fuming. "There's not much you can do, Aurora. He loves you and he'll always think that you're his."

"He has a very peculiar way of showing it," Aurora grumbled, her shoulders drooping forward.

"He's always been good to you, Aurora," Pippa scolded.

"He used to be. He's being quite controlling and pushy and jealous now."

Pippa shrugged and then glared behind Aurora, her eyes following someone. Aurora turned in her seat to see what Pippa was staring at before Pippa could protest. Sirius was walking to the dance floor with a girl on James' side of the family. She was blonde, busty, taller than Aurora and slimmer, and she had her filthy hands all over Sirius and he was kissing her! Aurora felt a pang of hurt and a bit of jealousy rumbling in her chest. She knew that he was doing this to spite her but she hadn't done anything of the sort to him.

Aurora looked away, looking quite dejected and upset. She stood and walked away from the reception and back to the house. She was relieved when no one followed her. She put the lid down on the toilet and sat down on it, shutting the door as she did so. She began to cry, her heart breaking again.

* * *

Everyone enjoyed the outdoors, a large tent covering them. As Pippa snacked on some wedding cake, she watched as Nymphadora was forced to dance with the Ring Bearer, one of Lily's cousins' son, who was about a year older than Nymphadora. Pippa laughed as Nymphadora sent death glares at her mother. As Pippa looked around and saw that Sirius was still snogging with the blonde bimbo, she became quite angry. What in the hell is he thinking!? She thought as she stormed over to him and yanked the blonde out of his lap. The girl squeaked "Hey!" as she was pushed out of the way. Pippa placed both of her fists on her hips, glaring down at Sirius. 

"What are you doing? Not only are you being incredibly _rude_ to James and Lily, you upset the one woman you really love!" She snapped and Sirius looked like a scolded sixteen year old. "I think you should go find her and apologize, Sirius…"

"What for? She hates me…-hic-"

"Oh Lord, your drunk!"

"Who is?" Remus asked from beside her. Pippa pointed at Sirius and she finally noticed the pinkness of his nose and cheeks and the dazed look in his eyes.

"Sirius…What are you doing getting drunk at a wedding? At your best friend's wedding at that…" Sirius hiccupped again and Remus rolled his eyes. "I'll go get him some coffee…" And he left, bumping into James on the way. He told James and James looked quite irate as he approached Pippa and Sirius; the blonde was long gone.

"What in the name of God are you getting drunk at my wedding for?!" He snapped and Sirius just hiccupped again, waving his hand dismissively at James as he reached for another glass of champagne. James snatched it away from him and Sirius made a grumbling sound in surprise and indignation. "No more, Sirius."

Remus walked into the kitchen and began to make a pot of coffee. As he stood next to the coffee maker, his arms crossed, he heard sniffling coming from the bathroom near the kitchen. He went to the door that stood slightly ajar and he slowly pushed it open. He saw Aurora sitting on the closed toilet, her face in her hands as she sniffled and cried. Remus frowned and stepped into the bathroom.

"Aurora?" He whispered as he kneeled down in front of her. He was lucky it was a spacious bathroom. He gently reached up and pulled her hands away from her face. Aurora sniffed again and looked up at her friend. He frowned more when he saw her mascara running, her eyes and nose pink, her cheeks blotchy. "Aurora…" He sighed and grabbed some tissues from the box on the sink. He handed them to her before he grabbed another one and put some soap on it. He put it under the water that he got running in the sink and then began to carefully wash the mascara off of her face. "You're make-up is a bit ruined…"

Aurora gave a weak laugh and wiped her nose with one of the tissues he had given to her. "Thank you, Remus…" She spoke so quietly he almost didn't catch what she had said. He smiled at her and brushed his thumbs under her eyes, his hands on either side of her head. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds and then they both leaned forward, their lips pressing against each others. She opened her eyes after a few seconds and stared back into his. Nothing. She pulled back, smiling awkwardly as she wiped at her dry nose. She began to giggle and then Remus began to laugh with her.

So they were in hysterics, unable to speak and hardly able to breath. She rested her head back against the wall and sighed with a soft laugh. "Wow…"

"Yeah…heh…" He answered, shaking his head. "What were we thinking?"

"I don't know…" She responded, giggling again. "God, Remus…I love him." She said as she looked at her friend, tears welling up in her eyes again. Remus reached out and pulled her down to him, holding her as she began to cry again. They sat on the tiled bathroom floor for a while before the timer on the coffee maker went off. He sighed and gently rubbed her back as he helped her up and walked her out into the kitchen. She collected herself as Remus poured a huge mug full with coffee.

"Well, I have to go take this out to Sirius…Did you want to come?"

"Sirius? Is he drunk?"

"Yeah…" Aurora shook her head, frowning slightly.

"No, I'll come out once I fix my make-up."

"Alright…" He started for the back door and opened it. He was about to step out when Aurora called out to him softly.

"Remus…"

He looked back at her. "Hmm?"

"Thank you…You're a great friend," she whispered as she smiled softly at him. He grinned at her and nodded before walking out of the house, closing the door behind him. Aurora went back to the bathroom and pulled her mascara and lipstick out of her hand bag. She reapplied all of it and sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"You're a strong, young woman, Aurora Clementine. You will get over this; just like you've gotten over everything else," she lied to her reflection. She sighed and walked out of the bathroom and then out of the house and into the sunny afternoon. She shielded her eyes as she looked out across the lawn of the large backyard towards the reception area. She saw Lily, Pippa, and Andromeda waving at her and motioning her to come back. Aurora smiled and took the first step towards her friends.

* * *

Thank you xXNightmareGoddessXx and Salsa94 for the adds! Many hugs to all of you who watch me and read this story. I hope you didn't hate this chapter too much lol -Siriusgrl88


	25. Deal

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

"Have you heard from Aurora lately?" Andromeda asked Lily as they sat at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour in October. Lily shook her head, her sunglasses hiding any emotion in her eyes as she licked at her plain vanilla ice cream; it was an oddly warm fall day though there was a bit of a nippy breeze that blew every once in a while. Andromeda frowned as she took another sip of her strawberry milk shake. "That's odd of her, isn't it?"

"Didn't Sirius tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Andromeda leaned in closer as Lily did and Lily told her everything that James told her about what Sirius told him. It was very accurate. Andromeda looked very surprised. "She's not keeping in touch with us because of what that idiot said to her?"

"Yep; he was pushing her for marriage and she panicked. He made a low blow and she ended it. She said, and I quote, 'Save it for someone who really cares'; end quote." Lily used her middle and index fingers as she said the quote. Andromeda's jaw dropped and jumped slightly when James and Sirius showed up.

"You idiot!" She yelled as she took her purse and hit Sirius in the crotch with it. Sirius grunted and covered his groin as he glared at her.

"Now what did I do?"

"You pushed her. I told you don't push the marriage thing. She's sensitive towards it because of what happened to her parents." Sirius scowled as he and James sat down.

"I love her, Andromeda."

"I know."

"Well, then what the hell am I supposed to do? Just be her boyfriend? I want more."

"What you want and what you get are two completely different things, Sirius," Lily replied. He shot her a glare.

"Not you too, Lily."

"Well, because of your nasty comment, I haven't talked to one of my best friend's in over two months!"

"I didn't mean for it to come out the way that it did, ok?! I was frustrated! I want to marry her. I love her," he said it with such conviction that Lily and Andromeda were hard pressed to remain angry with him.

Lily and Andromeda sighed as they both frowned and looked at each other but Lily looked quickly to her left. She suddenly started and got out of her chair, running off. They all watched as she ran, wondering what she was after. And then they saw her: Aurora was walking with Nicola and Italia in Diagon Alley. She saw Lily and began to back pedal, turning around with the girls. Andromeda was up before anyone could blink and she too was after her.

"Oh no you don't!" Sirius and James could hear Andromeda yell at Aurora as she caught her arm and stopped her. James stood and practically had to yank Sirius out of his chair to get him to follow. They walked slowly to the girls, giving Andromeda and Lily time with their friend. "He loves you, Aurora. Why won't you marry him?" Lily asked.

"Because sometimes love just isn't enough. Sometimes you need more."

"Oh what a load of bull! You make it sound more difficult than it really is! Love can be enough, Aurora. What? You want financial security? The both of you are loaded so there's no problem there. You want protection? Honey, no one has protection nowadays," Andromeda snapped and Lily nodded in agreement. Nicola even nodded, which she was rewarded with a quick slap on the shoulder.

"What? They're right, you know. The only thing that can remotely protect you these days _is_ love," Nicola spoke with words and wisdom far beyond her years. Aurora blinked and realized that she was being a fool. 'The one thing Voldemort doesn't have is love and friendship…What am I doing?' She closed her eyes tight and sighed.

"I'm sorry." She said as she looked back at her friends. Lily and Andromeda grinned and hugged her tight to them.

"Well, well, well; isn't this sweet?" Aurora froze as Andromeda and Lily stiffened and pulled away. Aurora turned, her eyes connecting with her brother's. Nicola and Italia both whimpered and Aurora pushed them gently behind her, feeling both girls grab the back of her thighs. She saw James and Sirius move forward, wands out. She pulled her own out for security and then she noticed it. Death Eaters were everywhere but so were the good wizards and witches. Mothers were pulling their children into the nearest shops while fathers and older brothers and many other men and women pulled out their wands, pointing them at Death Eaters.

"Hello again, Aurora."

"What are you doing here, Alfred?" Her tone was bitter and angry as she glared at him.

"You see, you seem to think that I was going to give up on you at St. Mungo's. You're sadly mistaken. Now, instead of politely asking you to come with me, I have to use force."

"Does Voldemort send his wishes?" She questioned Alfred, clearly mocking the obvious absence of his dark lord. Alfred sneered, his wand pointed straight at Aurora.

"Don't mock the Dark Lord. You will come with me now, or everyone here dies, including Nicola and Italia."

"I hate you! You asshole!" Nicola screamed as she lunged for Alfred's legs, pummeling them with her fists. Aurora cried out and reached for Nicola but Alfred grabbed the girl by her hair and threw her behind him, his wand in Aurora's face now. Aurora went cross-eyed as she slowly straightened up. Her eyes darted to Nicola, who was laying on the cobblestone street, groaning in pain.

"Such foul language for such a young girl, Aurora. I'm beginning to think that you're not a fit guardian for them."

"Oh and you are? Shut up, you asshole!" Andromeda snapped.

"I see who she gets it from," he remarked snidely.

"Trade," Aurora said suddenly, making everyone look at her.

"Trade?" Alfred questioned, looking a bit confused. Aurora rolled her eyes.

"I'll go with you if you give Nicola back and let everyone here live." Sirius made a strangled sound and Lily gasped. Andromeda was the only vocal one.

"Are you crazy, Aurora!? He'll kill you and then all of us!"

"No, he won't. Voldemort is the one who wants me," she said over her shoulder to Andromeda. She then turned back to Alfred, her eyes hard. "So give us Nicola and I'll go to you."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"What do you propose?"

"You come here first and then I'll let Nicola go."

"No. You'll go back on your word. I'll walk to you half way and then you let Nicola walk to me. She will go to them and I'll go to you at the same time. Deal?"

Alfred looked very serious as he nodded and stepped back to Nicola, telling Travers to let her go. Aurora and Nicola both walked towards each other and Aurora kneeled down to hug her before she stood again. She noticed Alfred's eye roll and the heavy groans of the other Death Eaters. She stood and motioned for Nicola to start walking to Lily and Andromeda as she herself began to walk to her brother. As she approached him, her eyes hard, she spoke. "They all live too, Alfred. You can't do anything to harm any of these people and they won't harm your people." He nodded and motioned for the rest of the Death Eaters to stand down. They did as told, albeit reluctantly, and he grabbed her quite suddenly, yanking her to him and placing his wand at her temple.

Sirius was being restrained by James as Lily held Italia and Andromeda held Nicola back. All four girls were crying, fearing the worst. Aurora smiled sadly at them and gently waved at the little girls, mouthing 'I love you' to them. They did the same in return and Aurora shut her eyes tight as tears began to prick her eyes. 'This is it. I'm going to die soon. I'm sorry that I failed you Mum.' The Death Eaters began to disappear one by one and just as Alfred was about to Disapparate, Sirius pulled from James and ran to Aurora, grabbing her arm and yanking when Alfred disappeared. Aurora stood, blinking at Sirius. He was glaring at her but there was something more in his eyes.

"That was very brave and all, but don't you_ ever_ do that again."

* * *

Please review! I'd really appreciate it. I love the feed back and want to know what you all think of my writing style and about the story. Until next time! -Siriusgrl88


	26. 1979

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…)

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months; before anyone knew it, 1979 had come and gone. Holly had started her first year at Hogwarts in September of that year; she was sorted into Gryffindor. Aurora was quite excited for her; Tim and Al had both been in Gryffindor and Alicia and Aurora had both been in Ravenclaw. Aurora was interested in which houses Nicola and Italia would be placed in by the Sorting Hat when their times came. She had a very strong feeling that Italia would be placed in Ravenclaw.

1979 had been quite eventful. Dumbledore had created the Order of the Phoenix; a large group of Dumbledore's supporters, who were all opposed to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, had joined. It seemed like everyone was a member. James and Lily, Peter, Remus, Pippa, Sirius, Aurora, Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley, Emmeline Vance, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Rubeus Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Ponoma Sprout, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Aberforth Dumbledore (Albus' younger brother), Dorcas Meadowes, the McKinnon's (including Marlene McKinnon), the Bones' (including Edgar and Amelia Bones), the Abbott's, the Wood's, the Cornfoot's, the Jones', the Macdonald's, the MacDougal's, the Perks', the Moon's, and many others. Aurora was a bit edgy to be around Sirius so often but remained civil with him even though she avoided him a lot as well.

The Order had put Aurora with many people she never thought she'd ever meet, let alone fight along side of, like Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge (a good friend of Albus'), Hestia Jones, Sturgis Podmore, Caradoc Dearborn, Benjy Fenwick, and Arabella Figg, a Squib. It wasn't many all together but they also had the help of many people who were 'undercover'. They conversed with the Order but never joined because Voldemort knew everyone who had joined. It was like they were all being tracked, watched.

More than once Aurora had been attacked but luckily she had come away from each little skirmish with nothing more than a few bad cuts, some bruises, and, once, a concussion. All of the members of the Order of the Phoenix were being targeted and that scared many people who would have otherwise joined; they still helped though. The Ministry helped when it could, which was always a good thing but they were constantly being told of Death Eater activity inside of the Ministry itself.

Unfortunately, not all of the Order's members were so lucky when they were attacked. Edgar Bones, brother of Amelia Bones, his wife and their children were killed in January 1979 by Barty Crouch Jr., Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband. The death of Edgar and his family was taken hard and many of the women were quite upset because even the small children were killed.

Three months later Caradoc Dearborn went missing; then Benjy Fenwick was found 'blow to bits' in August, presumably killed by Macnair. And then, in September (about a week after Holly started school), Fabian and Gideon Prewett had been killed by Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange; the twin brothers had died valiantly, protecting a whole street full of muggles (none of the muggles were hurt or killed) and the two brothers were awarded Orders of Merlin, First Class for Muggle Safety. The only member of their Order who was killed by Voldemort himself so far was Dorcas Meadowes, in late September. From what they could tell about the house, she had fought as hard as she could.

The Death Eaters didn't get away unscathed either. Jonas Acker and Morty Boon were taken down by Fabian and Gideon Prewett before they died. Bradford Ely, Karl Riese, and Aifric Breen were all brought down by Dorcas Meadowes four months before she was killed; Bairbre Foley was killed by Mad-Eye Moody for resisting arrest and holding a young Muggle child hostage;Ruaidhri McGuire had been taken out by Kingsley. Sirius and James killed Dermot MacMathan and Delma MacMathan together; Sirius felt terrible for killing a woman but she was quite deranged and was constantly sending the Killing Curse at Aurora while she was busy with Travers.

Then, in June of 1979, Regulus Black, Sirius' younger Death Eater brother, was heard to have gotten cold feet and panicked; the Death Eaters had killed him. Sirius hadn't seemed so surprised or upset and he got a bit suspicious when Aurora and Lily reacted with sympathy and sadness. Aurora had been writing to Regulus for the last year and when she heard that he had panicked, she had blamed herself. She had been warning Regulus about his decision to join the Dark Lord; she had foolishly told him of the Horcruxes her mother had told her about. Foolish! Surely, Voldemort had killed Regulus himself? Had Regulus given her up to him while being tortured? Or had he actually died a noble, brave death? Was there such a thing as a noble and brave death?

Not all was so terrible though. James and Lily had been married for a year and a half by the time 1980 rolled around, and Lily kept dropping James hints about starting a family of their own. Sirius and Aurora were still apart though, mainly because of Aurora. She kept telling everyone, when they asked, that she wasn't ready but Sirius kept pursuing her anyway. He sent her flowers once a week and gave her presents on holidays and her birthday for an entire year and a half.

Aurora had visited Alicia in St. Mungo's many times that year. The first was on Alicia's birthday in January. Nicola and Italia both admitted that neither of them were ready to see their mother yet so Lily and James watched them. Aurora didn't know that it was going to be as hard as it was to see her mother in her condition. Alicia had been muttering under her breath of many things that didn't make any sense to anyone. She had stared out the window that was bewitched to show a beautiful blue ocean, small waves swelling and crashing against the sandy beach; her once beautiful eyes that used to hold so much life and laughter in them were glassy and glazed over, looking at nothing.

Aurora had tried to talk to her about many things; the girls, the tragedies, life in general. But she had the distinct feeling that her mother was lost to her completely. She had left the hospital, sobbing, and sat in the van that she had driven there for over an hour, just grieving at the loss of her mother. She had come back, with Italia on Italia's May birthday. She was surprised when Italia had climbed up to her mother calmly and laid with her on the bed. Alicia had stopped muttering and she closed her eyes.

The Mediwitches told Aurora later that that had been the first time that she had closed her eyes and stopped talking since she got there; she hadn't been sleeping at all either. Aurora came again for Nicola's August birthday and had to hold the ten year old girl as she cried, just watching her mumbling mother. Aurora had stopped crying for their mother since that February but this was new to Nicola, who took it harder than Aurora had thought she would.

Nicola and Alicia had been close but not nearly as close as Nicola and Aberto had been or as close as Italia and Alicia had been. Aurora only went once more that year, without any of her sisters, or anyone else for the matter. She quietly told her mother that she was not going to come back but that she would never stop loving her or missing her; and she had stooped down over her and gently kissed her mother's soft cheek. Alicia had become quiet and closed her eyes as Aurora straightened up, tears in her eyes. She turned and walked out of the Vegetative Permanents Ward for the last time on November 5th, 1979; the two year anniversary of Aberto's death.

* * *

The sun was setting in the November sky as Aurora stood out on her balcony that connected to her bedroom. Her arms rested on the railing as the breeze teased her bangs, the rest of her being pulled back into a clean ponytail. She looked very pensive as she watched the sky slowly change colors. Holly was safe at Hogwarts but Aurora would never feel safe until she and the other two girls there too. She sighed softly and shut her eyes briefly as she just let her mind go.

She didn't think about anything. She just let her senses take over. She heard a car drive by; she could hear the neighbors on her right having dinner. She could smell said dinner and the soft scent of the flowers from her front yard. She felt the cool breeze on her shoulder, neck, and face as it blew gently. It was cold and she shivered lightly. She opened her eyes and noticed that the sun was almost completely gone from their world. After a long day like that day, these were the moments that Aurora couldn't wait for.

They had gone car shopping again. Four days now and finally she had found the perfect family car; a red and white 1980 Volkswagen Vanagon Poptop. It shined like a brand new penny and the interior was great; they could go on a vacation in it. It was stocked with a fridge, cooking range, compartments and cabinets, a bed in the very back and very roomy, comfy back seats. Nicola and Italia were very excited and Aurora had to admit that she was too.

Aurora walked back into her bedroom, closing and locking the white door behind her. Christmas was about half a month away and Aurora could feel the girls' excitement. Lily, James, James' parents, Lily's parents, Sirius, Remus, Pippa, Holly, and Peter were all coming to the house for dinner. Aurora was excited too. Maybe all of this commotion would keep the girls' minds off of their parents and Tim.

She went to peek in on the girls and smiled when she saw that they were both fast asleep. She then made her way down to the living room and grinned at the brightly, colorfully lit tree standing in front of the windows in the living room. She had found all of their ornaments in her parents' house in London. They were hidden in the attic. Aurora looked down fondly at her half cat, half kneazle that was purring loudly and rubbing against her ankles. She picked Angel up and kissed her head, walking her into the kitchen. She placed Angel on the island and began to fill her bowl with her favorite food.

Isis, her mother's Snowy Owl, swooped into the kitchen with a soft hoot and landed on Aurora's shoulder, startling her. She looked at the beautiful bird and patted one of her clawed feet. She then took the letter from her beak and felt Isis leave her shoulder. She looked at who it was from and wasn't surprised when it was from Dumbledore. She opened the letter and smiled at his pretty handwriting.

_Dear Aurora,_

_I have to inform you that you will begin work at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the 28th of July, 1980. You must have with you these following items:_

_1. Your wand_

_2. All of your belongings (you may purchase different furniture for your room, classroom, and office if you wish to leave you original furnishings at your summer home; student desks will be supplied by the school)_

_3. At least three robes with the Hogwarts emblem on them (you can have these made by Madame Malkin in Diagon Alley) and at least one pair of robes that has your House emblem on it (again, Madam Malkin)_

_4. At least two plain black robes and one plain black hat (you may bring with you a different hat as well)_

_5. At least one set of dress robes_

_6. An owl_

_7. Anything else you deem necessary_

_Please be prepared with your plans for your class. We will be sending you the new copy of Psychology of the Magical Mind, Year 6; Teacher Edition in a few days time. We hope that we have given you a sufficient amount of time to acquire these items. If not, please let us know and we will try to extend the date a bit. We can not wait for your arrival on the 28th of July, 1980. Thank you._

_Sincerely,_

_A**lbus Dumbledore**_

_P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!_

Aurora grinned as she folded the paper and placed it on the other counter. She gave Angel her food and the kneacat meowed in appreciation. She went to Isis next and fed and watered her as well. Another excuse to go shopping… She giggled and pat Isis before closing and locking the window she always came in and out of. She was startled when someone began to pound on her front door. She immediately pulled her wand out and cautiously approached the door, eyeing it warily. The pounding continued and she heard the girls walking to the top of the stairs. She turned to them and put a finger to her lips and motioned for them to hide around the corner.

The pounding still continued as she peeped out the peep hole. She looked completely befuddled when she saw who it was. She opened it and let Pippa walk in. She looked distraught and angry and soaking wet. Aurora hadn't even notices that it had begun to rain. "Pippa, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? You should be at Hogwarts."

"I know. I…Aurora, my mum was attacked. She's gone missing," Pippa responded, her voice cracking. Aurora felt immediate sympathy and pulled her younger friend into a hug, rubbing her back and holding the back of her head gently. Pippa didn't cry, she just clung to Aurora.

"Oh Pippa…I'm so sorry." Aurora led her to the sofa and let her sit down as she went into the kitchen and began to prepare some hot cinnamon tea. Nicola and Italia came down the rest of the way and sat near Pippa, watching her with wide eyes. Aurora came back within a few minutes and sat besides Pippa, handing her a china cup filled with the warm tea. "Where's Remus?"

"Somewhere…It's a full moon tonight."

"Oh…" She frowned. While Pippa was being afflicted with this terrible incident, Remus was being afflicted by another terrible incident. Aurora had known that Remus was a werewolf since their first year. She even figured it out before James and Sirius but didn't tell a soul because she and Remus became quick friends in their first year; he was the one who really introduced her to Sirius in their 2nd year. "Pippa…Do they have any details yet?"

"No…The house was destroyed and the dogs were all dead. It was so bloody…They're trying to figure out what blood belongs to whom. Father was in the bedroom, laying face down….face down…Oh GOD!" That's when Pippa broke and Aurora had to fight the urge to join Pippa in sobbing. She saw Pippa going through the exact same thing she had gone through not so long ago. From this angle, it was far more heart wrenching. She draped an arm around her shoulders and held Pippa as she sobbed and shook. Nicola had to take Italia upstairs because she began to get upset as well.

About an hour later, Pippa was fast asleep on the sofa. Aurora pulled a thick, soft purple blanket over her and placed a white pillow beneath her head. She then walked into her kitchen and picked the phone up from its hook. She dialed Lily's and James' phone number and waiting as it rung. Finally, after the fourth ring, a very groggy voice answered the phone.

"'llo?"

"James, put Lily on the phone."

"She's trying to sleep, 'Rora. Call back 'amorrow."

"James, this isn't about me right now. It's Pippa." She knew that James had woken up because suddenly he sounded very awake.

"What's wrong? Where is she?"

"She's here. James, her mother is missing and her father…I think her father is dead." She could practically feel James stiffen over the phone line and then heard his muffled voice waking Lily up. Then he spoke into the receiver again.

"We're coming." Click. Aurora hung up and then called Sirius. For some reason he was wide awake. She told him everything and he hung up on her. She took that as a sign that he was on his way but she frowned at the dial tone receiver before hanging it up. She even called Peter and he said he'd be right over as well. All phone calls finished, Aurora went back into the living room and sat down in the recliner, waiting for the doorbell to ring. Nicola came out to sit with her, climbing onto her lap in silence. She snuggled against Aurora and sighed softly.

"How many more, Aurora?"

"I don't know. A lot."

"Why is he doing all of this?"

"A lot of people want to know that answer but no one truly knows. Only he does and _maybe_ his Death Eaters. All we know is that he wants everyone to be on his side. He wants to rule the world, both Wizarding and Muggle."

* * *

Please leave me reviews! Thanks so much! -Siriusgrl88


	27. Miss Nosey and Big News

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…) Ah hell…here: Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernethy are © me as well.

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

Now…Enjoy. Please review!

* * *

It wasn't long before Sirius, Peter, James, and Lily had joined them. They all watched over Pippa sadly until Sirius had chased Nicola back up to bed before they entered the kitchen to talk. When he returned to his friends, they were all already talking about what Pippa had told Aurora in whispered voices. 

"So her father was found dead in their bedroom?" James asked before he took a sip of his tea.

"I'm guessing. She didn't finish her sentence before she broke down," Aurora answered as she handed Sirius a cup of tea. Lily was sipping on hers and James was just standing there with his head down; Peter looked a bit nervous, making Aurora a bit suspicious. She mentally slapped herself and pushed the thought out of her head. "Sirius, you, Peter, and James need to find Remus. It's a full moon tonight."

Sirius, Peter, and James looked at her in clear surprise. They hadn't told her or Lily anything about Remus. Was it Remus himself that told her? Or was it Severus? Maybe Pippa told them? "How do you know about Remus'...condition?" James asked quietly. Aurora placed her hands on her hips and cocked them before giving him a 'are you stupid' look.

"I figured it out on my own when I was nine. He was bitten when we were nine years old. I just noticed that every time he was 'sick' and was kept away from everyone, it just so happened to be a night of the full moon and that he always got sick right before the full moon. And then I began to notice the scars on his arms, hands, legs, and face. I just put everything together. It was far after I had met either one of them; our parents knew one another…well, Rupert and my mum knew each other from school but Rupert became good friends with my dad too and Laura and my mom got on great. They all kept his condition a secret from all of us but I figured it out not long after he was bitten."

James looked indignant. "That's not fair. I thought we were the first to know."

"When did you know?" Lily asked.

"Our second year," Sirius replied dryly, looking a little peeved himself.

"I didn't know till the end of our first year. I overheard Aurora speaking to Remus about it in the library one night. They caught me though and made me promise not to tell a soul. I promised and I haven't said a thing about it to anyone besides all of you," Lily spoke up. "And look at it this way, you three were the first underage wizards to ever become illegal animagi."

Aurora snorted into her tea and looked away from Sirius. The boys hadn't told them that either. Peter squeaked in horror and Sirius gaped at Lily. James nearly spewed his hot tea everywhere and he looked at Lily like she was crazy. Lily looked absolutely innocent as she looked at both men and shrugged slightly. Aurora was quite nosey when she was younger and her curiosity got the best of her on occasion.

"What? Aurora was the one who found out," Lily sold her out. Aurora choked on her tea and scooted away from Sirius. But he reached out and gently grabbed her elbow, bringing her closer to him.

"And how did you find out, Aurora?" he whispered to her, his eyes a bit hard. She gulped and set her tea down on the counter before walking around the island, putting it between her and Sirius. She knew he wasn't going to be happy that she had found out and that she could have used this against them. Sirius had constantly picked on her when they were younger about being so curious and she knew from experience that he didn't like it when people found out his secrets if he didn't tell them. Plus, she had an inkling that he wasn't going to like _how_ she found out.

"Well…you see, I was coming down from the Hospital Wing late one night-"

"Why were you there?" James asked and Lily nudged him to keep him quiet.

"She was feeling ill," Sirius muttered and Aurora looked slightly surprised.

"How did you know that?" she asked, looking a bit confused.

"Because you only got sick once in our fifth year and it was the day that we all had charms together and you were my partner. You started feeling sick so you left the classroom and were escorted to the Hospital Wing by Lily."

"Oh…Well, anyway, I was coming down from that tower and I saw Peter hurrying to get somewhere. So I followed him. I saw him transform into a rat-"

"And that's as far as you went, right? You just assumed that James and I had figured it out too." Sirius looked a bit hopeful and she almost wanted to lie and say yes.

"Well…no. And stop interrupting me. If you want to find out, you have to let me finish before you talk," she scolded before she continued. "I was able to get pass the Whomping Willow," Sirius turned pale and James' eyes bulged, "and I followed him down a tunnel and then I got a glimpse of you and James inside the Shrieking Shack, transforming as well. Then I saw Remus and I turned tail." Sirius' knuckles were white and James was looking at Sirius.

"Do you know how…how…how _stupid_ that was?!" Sirius bellowed at her and she flinched.

"Sirius, keep your voice down!" Lily whispered sternly. He began to come around one side of the island and Aurora moved to the other side. He followed and she switched. He glared at her and stood still before launching after her over the island counter. She let out a soft squeal and ran into the living room and then to the stairs. He wasn't in the kitchen anymore and he wasn't in the living room. She looked behind her and then she slowly turned to the stairs. There, standing tall and proud before her was Sirius. His eyes flashed and he grabbed her pjs at the front. He then hauled her up against the wall and covered her mouth with his free hand as Peter, James, and Lily came into the room.

"Sirius! Let her go!" Lily whispered, sounding worried. James shushed her.

Aurora was looking up at him with wide, terrified eyes. Sirius' hold on her suddenly loosened drastically and he looked surprised and appalled with himself as he removed his hand from her mouth. "Aurora…I'm sorry." He whispered low enough that the others couldn't hear. She relaxed visibly and nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry too…"

"You really have no reason to be. I just kind of….panic when someone knows a secret of mine and I wasn't the one to tell them about it. I don't want people using them against me." Aurora suddenly looked very mad.

"You're comparing me to Voldemort…How _dare_ you compare me to him?" He suddenly had to back-pedal mentally and looked very sorry but a bit bewildered.

"Wait…What? Where did you come up with that?"

"Voldemort uses things against his opponents, important things like secrets or family and friends."

"Oh…well…That's not exactly what I meant. But you have done it before, if you reca--"

She suddenly struck him across the face with her hand. His head jerked to the side and his cheek stung. Lily had gasped and James looked very surprised. "You have some nerve, Sirius Black! How can you compare me to him after…after what you know?!"

"Aurora…I'm sorry! I just…I panicked!"

"No excuse! I don't compare you to your brother!" Silence. He stepped away from her.

"Because I'm nothing like him," Sirius growled, his eyes flashing.

"You have some similarities," she shot back.

"Oh? Do tell…"

"He was stubborn and hot-headed, just like you. You're very clever and you use that against people, and he did the same thing!"

"Use our cleverness against people? I do not and my brother wasn't that clever."

"Yeah, he was, Sirius," Lily spoke up.

"And how would you two know?" He was suddenly becoming quite suspicious. Lily looked at Aurora and then looked away, her cheeks burning. Sirius looked back and forth between the girls, his suspicion becoming reality. "You kept in contact with him?! Are you crazy!?"

"Sirius, shush!" Lily scolded again.

"Outside," Aurora said as she pushed pass Sirius and walked to the back door. She flicked the back light on and went outside and the other three followed her. Lily shut the door behind her and stood near it. "Sirius…"

"You and Lily were conversing with my little brother behind my back!"

"No, Lily didn't." Sirius paled and then became quite irate.

"So you were writing to him on your own then? Were you telling Lily about how much you loved him?"

Aurora looked shocked that he had come to that conclusion. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she tried to form words in her head. She was completely befuddled by that retort. Lily stood between Sirius and Aurora suddenly, her angry green eyes flashing.

"Look, you! She was not cheating on you! She wouldn't with anyone, especially not your brother! She loves you, you stupid git!"

"Then why was she writing him!?"

"Because I had to…" Aurora mumbled as her eyes filled with frustrated tears. She didn't want to tell Sirius about his younger brother's recent mistake. Everyone became very quiet, the chirping of the crickets and croaks of the frogs the only noise meeting their ears at the moment. Lily had stepped away from both of her friends and stood next to James' side now. Aurora and Sirius were glaring fiery daggers at one another.

"And that is your justification?" He finally spoke.

Aurora nodded, looking quite defiant. "Yes, because I was trying to convince him to get out of it. That's why I was writing him, you idiot. I was trying to persuade him to go into Hiding, let me be his Secret Keeper…I couldn't cheat on anyone I love…But I couldn't just let him ruin his life like Alfred did…" She spoke quietly but with such conviction that Sirius was actually feeling like an idiot. But he was still very angry.

"You could have told me."

"And have you react like this? That's why I didn't tell you! I knew you would be completely against the idea."

"He was my little brother, Aurora; we were never very close! Of course I would have been against it."

"Ok. Did you just hear yourself?" He frowned at her and she just continued to glare at him.

"I'm pregnant." Aurora's head snapped to her left so fast, she winced.

"What?" She asked and Lily, who was blushing, repeated herself.

"I'm pregnant…" Lily repeated. Peter smiled slightly and James looked completely overwhelmed and a bit dazed while Sirius grinned from ear to ear and clapped his friend on the shoulder. Aurora grabbed Lily's hands and squeezed them, smiling at her.

"You are?!"

"Yes…Two months along already."

"How long have you known?" Sirius asked, looking very excited.

"I just found out yesterday. I didn't know how to tell anyone. I thought now would be the best time…" She replied, shooting Sirius a small glare. Sirius' grin retreated a bit. James wasn't speaking; he was simply looking at Lily as if he'd just seen the most beautiful creature walk into the backyard. She looked at him nervously and smiled slightly.

Quite suddenly, Lily was in James' arms and he was kissing her passionately. Aurora stepped back and watched, smiling. She glanced at Sirius, who was glancing at her. She looked away quickly and her smile vanished. She had a feeling that she wouldn't ever have that with him.

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I hope you enjoyed chapter 27! Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	28. Another Funeral and Some New Beginnings

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillian Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Gloria Boxington (nee Badeau), and Henry Boxington are © me lol I know, really long list of characters and yes, they're all related in some way. That'll be explained later. All of these names are authentic Spanish, Scottish, Italian, Irish, and Greek names (Thekla is the only pure Greek though). There are some names in here that I added but I'm not saying their mine because they don't play huge roles and I'm too lazy to go through the whole story again and type more names to this already long list (like Professor Markis, Nikita, etc…) Ah hell…here: Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernethy are © me as well.

Pippa Lupin © my friend, Ashley :)

All other characters are © Jo Rowling (if you've seen the names in the original HP series)

* * *

Albus allowed Pippa to stay with Aurora for the rest of the two weeks before the winter break. Pippa had been a bit happy but she was obviously still very worried about her mother. The attack on her home had been on a Tuesday and they held her father's funeral that Saturday at the cemetery in Banwishers' Cemetery, an all magical community cemetery where he and his wife had already purchased a plot. 

Aurora stood next to Pippa, who was squeezing her hand tightly as silent tears soaked her cheeks. Remus stood on the other side of Pippa, his body very tense, his eyes dazed and filled with tears that would not fall. A large group of mourners were there. Remus and Pippa's uncle Jeffery was there with his wife, Pegmonia, and their five children as well as coworkers and friends of both Laura and Rupert, both muggle and magical. Rupert's parents, who were both 84, had managed to show up as well as Laura's Muggle parents.

It was raining pretty hard so everyone had black umbrellas opened over their heads. Aurora held hers over her and Pippa's heads. The preacher finished with his reading and told everyone to, one-by-one, put their lotus or yellow zinnia flower upon the coffin. Remus and Pippa went first, Pippa now sobbing as she placed her lotus on her father's coffin. Remus put his yellow zinnia on top of hers next and he started to lead her away when she suddenly sank to her knees in the mud, clinging to the coffin and screaming: "No! Daddy, no! Come back, Daddy…Please come back!"

Aurora sucked in a ragged breath as she tried to hold her sobs back and she looked over at Lily who was now sobbing into James' shoulder as he held her. Aurora looked over at Sirius next; he was standing, facing her before he came to her side and pulled her against him, his strong arms wrapping around her protectively. Even though they weren't a couple, she didn't object; instead she buried her face in his chest and clung to him.

She stayed in his embrace as she watched Remus struggling to keep Pippa from going back to their father's last bed. Pippa fought hard, kicking and screaming and clawing at Remus' arms, tears still sliding down her flushed cheeks. Aurora sniffled as some tears were released from her own eyes. She hated seeing her friend in so much pain but knew that there was nothing she could do to alleviate it.

Rupert's brother, Jeffery, put his lotus on his brother's coffin next, his strong hand gently pressing against the dark wood. He said something as his wife put her zinnia down before she turned to him and gently led him away as he cried. Their kids went next and then their grandparents, who were both crying. The sight of the two older Lupins crying made Aurora's heart turn over and she buried her face in Sirius' chest as the tears began to gush out. Sirius led Aurora to the coffin next and she reached out, placing the beautiful lotus on top of the pile of other lotus' and zinnias, Sirius' zinnia following hers. She placed her hand against the coffin, tears still streaming.

"Good-bye, Rupert…" She whispered softly towards the coffin. She had known Mr. Lupin pretty well because she had spent a lot of summers there. Mr. Lupin was her mother's friend from school and was Aurora's Godfather; he had been in Gryffindor when Alicia was in Ravenclaw, and they had remained good friends outside of school. Lauren and Alicia had gotten along wonderfully and were very excited to be pregnant at the same time. Out of pure love and kindness, Alicia had never spoken a word to her children about Remus' condition. The relationship between Remus' father and her mother struck her as ironic as she compared her own relationship with Remus with theirs. She had never really given it any thought before. She looked over at Remus and suddenly became quite upset. 'Will this be him and me later?'

The funeral procession went to Jeffery Lupin's house because Remus' was too small and his parents' was destroyed. Pippa was inconsolable and remained separated from the entire group of people in her uncle's house for most of the gathering. Aurora and Lily had left her alone for most of the gathering before they got worried and went to where she was.

She sat on a stone bench that sat on the bank of the large pond in her uncle's backyard, under her umbrella. Aurora and Lily sat on either side of her, clearing the bench of any water before they sat down. Aurora smoothed her black, knee length dress out and then reached out, gently grabbing Pippa's hands that were fisted in her lap. Pippa just continued to stare at the pond's surface as the rain made dozens upon dozens of ripples on the water. Lily spoke this time, breaking the silence.

"Pippa…We're here if you need us." Lily frowned when Pippa made no movement, no acknowledgement and no noise in response. Aurora yanked slightly on Pippa's ear, in which she received a glare.

"Just making sure you're still alive…I know what you're going through, Pippa. Lily understands too. Just…let us know if you ever need to talk about this. We're just an owl away…" Pippa nodded slightly and Aurora hugged her. Lily joined in and they actually got a short giggle out of Pippa. "Well, I have to get going. I need to pick Nicola and Italia up from Mr. and Mrs. Curlington's. Write me if you need anything, ok?"

"Ok…" Pippa spoke softly and Aurora was suddenly very concerned, a bad gut feeling settling in her. Aurora left quickly with Sirius, not answering him when he asked her what was wrong.

Sirius insisted on escorting Aurora home, telling her that it was too dangerous for her to be traveling by herself; he also used the attacks on her as an excuse. Aurora had conceded and soon she and Sirius had arrived on Rowena Walk only minutes after leaving the Lupin's. Aurora went straight for the Curlington's front door and knocked on it as loudly as she could. She listened intently and heard footsteps on the tiles before the door was unlocked and opened. Mr. Curlington smiled up at her, his eyes twinkling with mirth as the girls and Mrs. Curlington laughed heartily in the back-ground. Aurora felt relieved but also still felt the bad gut feeling.

"I told you that they're alright," Sirius whispered to her as they followed Mr. Curlington into his kitchen. Italia was laughing hard at the dog that spun around in the middle of the room, chasing his tail. Aurora smiled and waved at both girls.

"Ready to go home now?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of tired…" Nicola responded, yawning afterwards. Aurora thanked the Curlington's before taking the girls home, Sirius by her side. Together they tucked the girls into bed. Aurora turned to Sirius, smiling slightly.

"I'm going to go change…You can wait downstairs if you'd like," she told him and he nodded slightly before she turned and went into the master bedroom. She laid her purse on her dresser before she reached behind her and started to unzip her black dress as she kicked her black high heels off. She shimmied out of the dress and kicked it aside as she started looking for some pjs to change into. At the moment, she stood only in her black bra and matching panties. She didn't hear her bedroom door open and she didn't hear the soft footsteps approach her.

Her breath hitched when a pair of strong arms snaked around her, one hand covering her mouth as her intruder's mouth went to her ear.

"Shhh…It's just me," Sirius whispered and released her mouth. He turned her around and noticed that she was blushing and trying to cover herself as best she could. He grinned and gently took her hands in one of his as the other one hooked a finger under her chin, gently forcing her to look up at him. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to make love to you tonight, Ms. Badeau. Do you object?" Her lips parted in surprise and her blush darkened before she shook her head.

He leaned down, his lips capturing hers softly as her breath hitched slightly in her throat. As he deepened the kiss, Aurora wrapped her arms around his neck and finally let sensation take over.

* * *

I can't do lemons, peoples. Sorry. I just can't really pull them off. Plus, I kinda like leaving you to your imaginations ;) Hope you liked it. Please review, no flames though. Ciao! -Siriusgrl88 

Lotus: An aquatic plant native to southern Asia and Australia, having large leaves, pinkish flowers, a broad, rounded, perforated seedpod, and fleshy rhizomes.

Purity, Resurrection, Evolution, Potential. Commonly used in ancient Egypt and in Hinduism, the flower is sacred in Buddhism. "It symbolizes the creation of life from the slime of the primordial waters. The closed lotus represents potential. Depending on the number of petals, the lotus' symbolism changes, shaped by the symbolism of the number. With eight petals, it represents cosmic harmony; with 1,000 petals it means spiritual revelation. The lotus is the emblem of India and Egypt.

Zinnia(yellow) - Daily remembrance


	29. The Proposal

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are mentioned in the last chapter are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

The sun filtered into the room through the drapes that were parted slightly. Sirius groaned and rolled over, his arm and hand reaching for someone. He blinked his eyes open when he didn't feel that person next to him. He sat up, rubbing his grey eyes as the sheet, a thicker blanket over it, and the comforter slid down his chest and pooled around his waist and hips. He looked around a bit groggily and sniffed when he smelt something really good. He swung his legs to the side of the bed and noticed that he was naked. He blinked, thinking back to what happened that night. He grinned as he remembered and he stood up, stretching before he got dressed in his shirt and boxers.

He came out of the room and saw Nicola in her room with Italia, playing with the 4 year old. Nicola looked up at him and he smiled and waved. Nicola "eeped" and ducked her head, giggling. Sirius smirked crookedly before going down the stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen. He sat down at the table, laying one ankle on his knee, his hands behind his head as he grinned in Aurora's direction. She hadn't heard him enter the kitchen and her back was to him as she cooked bacon and sausage on the stove.

She was humming softly to herself, her black hair pulled back into a messy bun, a few tendrils hanging here and there. Sirius watched her bustle around the kitchen, cooking, washing dishes, toasting bread. He had an overwhelming sense of home here with her, especially when she was in the kitchen. He became a bit serious, his grin a little smaller as he spoke to her.

"Marry me."

Aurora nearly dropped the pan with the bacon in it as she gasped and jumped a bit. She turned, her eyes a bit wide as she giggled slightly, a small smile on her face. "Good morning, Sirius. Did you want toast?"

"Marry me."

"What?" She looked a little dumbstruck.

"You heard me, woman," he growled at her, his eyes flashing in amusement.

"A-Are you serious?"

"Why, yes, I am Sirius," he laughed softly at his own joke before he really answered her. "Yes…I'm serious."

She just stared at him for a few seconds, her lips parted slightly and her eyes a bit wide again. "Are you sure? I mean, I have three sister's that I'm taking care of…Do you really want to be tied dow---"

"Yes."

"You do?" He nodded and she grinned from ear to ear. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Sirius stood immediately and went to her as she placed the pan down on the counter. He picked her up and swung her around a couple of times, kissing her lovingly and passionately. They suddenly heard Nicola and Italia cheering and turned to see the two girls dancing with each other, singing "They're finally getting married!" Aurora laughed and hugged Sirius as he put her back on her feet. He kissed her forehead and then grabbed the pan on the counter. They served breakfast together, both still smiling.

* * *

That day, Aurora and Lily went out to do some shopping for Christmas while Sirius and James played babysitter with the girls. They were in Madam Malkins at Diagon Alley. As they wandered around the store, chatting as they looked for robes for James and Sirius, Narcissa Malfoy walked into the store along with her older sister Bellatrix. Lily saw them first and went to Aurora. 

"We need to get out of here…" She whispered urgently. Aurora looked at her, her brow furrowing, and then she glanced in their direction. She frowned, her eyes becoming stony.

"I agree," she answered and both women stepped away from the rack of men's robes. She and Lily started for the door but Bellatrix saw them and confronted them, taunting.

"Look, Cissy, it's the blood traitor, Badeau, and the Mudblood, Potter!" Aurora reached for her wand, her eyes flashing angrily at Bellatrix, but Lily grabbed her wrist.

"Don't, Aurora, she's not worth it."

"'Don't, Aurora, she's not worth it!'" Bellatrix mocked Lily, making Lily glare at her. "Do you always take orders from a Mudblood, Badeau?" Suddenly there was a flash of red and Bellatrix was on her back upon the floor, Aurora standing over her as Narcissa screamed and Lily yelled at Aurora. Aurora pointed her wand at Bellatrix's face, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Bellatrix's eyes were a bit unfocused still as Aurora warned her.

"Call her that again in my presence, Bellatrix, and you'll regret it more than you do now." With that Aurora and Lily walked out of the store. As she looked around, she saw more and more Death Eaters undercover. "We're leaving." She and Lily twirled at the same time and ended up at Aurora's house at the same time, their purses and bags of goodies still with them.

"Aurora, honestly, you shouldn't have done anything to her!" Lily scolded as she tried to keep up with Aurora's fast pace as they headed for the front door.

"She called you Mudblood, Lily! I hate that term!"

"So do I, but I was willing to let it go!"

"No. You give them an inch, they'll run a mile." They were in the house now and both men looked up at them, confused.

"What happened? We thought you'd both be away for a while longer…" James said as Aurora and Lily placed the bags in the coat closet.

"Aurora stunned Bellatrix after she called me a Mudblood…" Lily answered as she sat down next to her husband on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek, frowning.

"Good job!" Sirius complimented as Aurora sat on his lap. She gave him a high five and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"She knocked her flat out on her back in Madam Malkins, Sirius! That's not good. Especially since her sister was there with her and there were plenty of undercover Death Eaters in the plaza too."

"Oh come on now, Lil. That's Narcissa that you're talking about…" Aurora quipped. Sirius laughed along with James and Lily tried not to but she ended up giggling a little. Aurora just smirked a little.

"Still, Aurora…We could have gotten in more trouble…Though, I have to say, you pulled your wand out quicker than anyone I've ever known."

"I was awarded 1st place in dueling in our third year."

"That's true." Lily noticed that Sirius looked very proud and she became a bit curious. "What's going on with you two?"

Aurora immediately blushed and smiled as she looked at Sirius, who nodded to her. Aurora held out her hand, a beautiful pink diamond ring, that Lily hadn't noticed, was on her ring finger. "We're engaged." Lily squealed and launched herself at Aurora and Sirius, hugging and kissing both of them. James and Sirius stood and James congratulated him. They watched as the women they loved hugged and squealed and laughed with each other and, as Sirius and James looked at each other, they both knew that these women were meant to be in their lives.

* * *

Andromeda sat at her table, picking at her dinner as her husband, Ted, read the muggle newspaper. Her 6 year old daughter was playing with her own food and Andromeda had to scold her. Nymphadora pouted at her mother but obeyed. Andromeda looked up at the newspaper that was blocking her view of her husband. She felt a rift building between them and she wondered just how long they could stay living like this. Her pregnancy was coming along just fine but her relationship was strained with her husband. 

Neither one liked being cooped up in the house all day but they couldn't leave, making tempers flare and arguments more and more common between them. She loved her husband and daughter dearly but she had an itch to get out and see her friends, but she knew it was an itch that could never be scratched as long as Voldemort was still alive.

Andromeda frowned and went to the sink, dumping her food in the garbage beneath it. She washed her dishes and sighed heavily before going up to her bedroom that she shared with Ted. She grabbed a book and went to the Bay window, sitting on the soft cushion and pillows there. As she read, she kept a weary eye out on the outside of the house. They lived in a quiet, small Muggle town about 58 miles from Little Winging.

After a while, she let her guard down and just read, not tearing her eyes from the book as she read on for about an hour. She could hear her husband playing with Nymphadora down stairs but she didn't want to join them. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't see the small group of Death Eaters gathering just outside their home, but she finally closed her book and looked out at the cold, cloudy day. That's when she saw them.

She immediately started; her back stiffening and her muscles tensing as she watched the group intently. What are they doing here? Do they know? She watched as one Death Eater removed their mask and Andromeda scowled. Her sister, Bellatrix, was leading them. Andromeda knew that they might have an idea of where they were but they couldn't see her family. 'We're still safe…'

She thought too soon. Bellatrix began to walk up to the front door and Andromeda panicked. She rushed out of the room and down the stairs so quickly, she surprised herself. She picked Nymphadora up, cradling her to her side as she reached out and grabbed Ted's hand.

"What's going on, Annie?" He asked right before the front door blew off its hinges. Nymphadora screamed and cried and Ted stiffened and squeezed Andromeda's hand; Bellatrix, her crazy dark eyes glaring at her younger sister, stood in the door way, flanked by six other Death Eaters. Andromeda knew all of them; Jonathan Travers, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Ewald Mulciber, Severus Snape, and Lucius Malfoy. Everyone was frozen for a few minutes as they all just stared at each other. Andromeda was the first to move, adjusting Nymphadora on her hip slightly. Bellatrix reacted, her wand out and raised at Ted as she screamed the Killing Curse.

Andromeda screamed and yanked Ted out of the way, the curse missing him by mere inches. Andromeda and Ted ran from the entry way and into the kitchen. Andromeda used her wand to shut and lock the door. She was breathing hard, her eyes wild and panicked. Ted was still holding her hand; he squeezed it to get her attention. She looked at him, and was immediately brought back to a sane level. She gently shushed Nymphadora and looked towards the door which was being banged upon after "alohomora" didn't work.

"That'll only hold them for so long. We need to get out of here now," Andromeda whispered to her husband, who nodded in response.

"I thought you said we could trust Wilma Cornfoot?"

"I thought so too…She'll pay if she hasn't already," Andromeda sneered. "We need to go now!" She held her daughter and husband to her close and then Disapparated right before Snape, Mulciber, Lucius, and Travers came bursting in through the door leading into the kitchen from inside the house and before Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan barged in through the back door.

* * *

Thanks to cathopes for the add and review! And thanks to Ginny-and-Draco-fan for the add too! I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. Please don't forget to review. -Siriusgrl88 


	30. Safety and Surprise

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

Andromeda and her small family apparated just outside of Hogsmeade; she then led them to the edge of the little town and peeked around the corner of a store. She knew these parts were infected with Death Eaters so they needed to be very careful. All was quiet and untouched in sleepy Hogsmeade. She looked back at Ted, putting her index finger to her lips. She patted Nymphadora's head and slowly, the three walked out into the dimly lit cobblestone street. Andromeda shivered. It was cold and snow covered the ground beneath her feet. They hadn't had any time to grab any jackets or blankets. 

Nymphadora whimpered slightly but Ted hushed her as he tried to keep her warm. Andromeda told Ted to stay where he was as she slowly and cautiously approached The Hog's Head. She peeked in and saw nothing. She looked around and knocked on the door, her eyes closing as she winced at the sharp sound and the pain in her knuckles. She waited. No sounds. She opened her eyes and peeked through the window of the Hog's Head again. She saw him. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief as Aberforth came to the door and opened it, looking quite grouchy.

"Aberforth…Please, will you take my husband, daughter, and me in tonight? We'll be gone by the morning. Wilma gave us up, Aberforth. I have nowhere to turn to but Albus." Aberforth blinked at her and then grunted, stepping aside to let her in. She turned and motioned for Ted, who hurried over.

They entered the inn/pub and Aberforth showed them to their room. Ted put their daughter down to bed before he went back downstairs to get some kind of alcohol. Andromeda was speaking low to Aberforth when Ted walked into the room. Some candles were lit, making the shadows dance around the room, the light casting a soft glow upon his wife and the older man who was helping them.

"How can we get out of here and to Hogwarts safely tomorrow morning, Abe?" She had a mug of frothy, warm Butterbeer in her hands and a thick red blanket draped over her back and shoulders. Ted pulled a chair over to where she was sitting and he sat down next to her. Aberforth left the room briefly, bringing back a midnight blue blanket and another mug of Butterbeer. Ted thanked him and wrapped the blanket around him before taking a large gulp of the warm drink. He sighed happily as the frothy, tasty liquid slid down his throat and settled in his stomach; warmth spread throughout his entire body.

Aberforth leaned against his bar and sighed heavily, rubbing a large, fat hand over his face. Andromeda watched him intently while Ted looked between the two. Aberforth finally spoke, his blue eyes meeting Andromeda's.

"This place is crawling with Death Eaters, Andromeda. If you leave in the morning, you'll be spotted."

"But if we leave now, we'll be spotted. They're all awake still! Do they ever sleep?"

"If I get Albus to come here tonight, he could get you to the castle safely. But that's if he's awake…"

Andromeda smiled as Aberforth walked out of the room. She then turned to Ted, still smiling. "No one will touch Dumbledore. They all fear him." Ted nodded knowingly.

* * *

Pippa sighed heavily as rolled onto her back on the bed that she was using in Aurora's house. She hadn't slept all night and now the sun was trying to peak into the bedroom she was using…'Damn you, Aurora and Sirius!' She shook her fist at the wall that separated her from the two of them. They had been up most of the night, having sex. Pippa made a face and gagged a bit. It was like thinking of her brother and sister getting it on. She placed a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes, trying to banish the thought from her mind. 

A soft knock came from the bedroom door and it slowly creaked open. "Pip? It's just me…" Aurora said as she walked into the room, her eyes closed as she felt her way to Pippa's bed.

"You! You and Sirius need to stop having sex while I'm here!" Pippa yelled and Aurora's eyes popped open, a deep blush covering her face.

"What?" she asked, hoping she had heard wrong, and Pippa glared at her, sitting up and crossing her arms.

"You and Sirius need to stop having sex…I could hear you last night!"

Aurora squeaked, her blush becoming even darker. Her hands went to her mouth as she gazed at Pippa with wide, apologetic eyes. "Oh Pip! I'm sorry!"

"Yeah…You should be. It was like hearing my brother and sister go at it…Oh eck…" She grabbed a pillow and covered her face with it, screaming into it.

Aurora watched her in slight amusement and slight mortification. She turned and hurried out of the room, telling Pippa that breakfast was ready if she wanted any before she exited the door. She went downstairs, blush still on her face as she sat down at the kitchen table. She picked her fork up and put all of her attention on her food, unable to look at Sirius or the girls. Pippa didn't come down and Aurora felt a bit relieved. After the others were done with breakfast, she cleaned up the table and the plates, standing at the sink with her back to the living room. Sirius came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection, his lips caressing her neck. Aurora's blush came back in full force and she had to resist the urge to shake him off of her.

"Last night was fantastic…" He murmured in her ear, his hot breath fanning against her cheek. Her breath hitched and she stilled in his arms, her blush darkening yet again.

"Sirius…I don't think we can make love anymore…" She whispered. Sirius became quite tense and she closed her eyes. 'Of course he's going to take that the wrong way…' She turned in his arms and placed her hands on his pecks reassuringly. "No, no, no, not forever…Just until Pippa leaves." He looked disgruntled.

"Why?"

"She heard us last night, Sirius." Now Sirius had the opposite reaction than Aurora. Instead of blushing modestly and looking mortified, Sirius grinned, his eyes flashing teasingly.

"Heh, heh, heh…Did she like what she heard? The little voyeur..." He was rewarded by a loud and sharp slap to his chest. He flinched and rubbed the offended area as he glared half-heartedly at her. "Hey…"

"How could you say that?!"

"Aurora, I put a Silencing Charm on the bedroom; the only way she'd be able to hear anything was if she peaked in on us while we were…you know…" He made some dirty, sexual motions, grasping her hips and thrusting his into hers. Aurora placed a hand over her face and looked away as Pippa walked into the kitchen.

"Ah bloody hell!" Pippa yelled and grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl on the island counter, throwing it at the back of Sirius' head. Sirius stilled and slowly turned to her, grinning.

"Like what you saw last night, Pippie?" He mocked and Pippa blushed. Suddenly, Aurora knew that Sirius was telling the truth. She looked at Pippa, completely shocked and mortified.

"What!?"

"Rora…I'm sorry. I just…I didn't hear any noise coming from your room so I peaked in to see if you two were alright…I didn't know you were having sex!"

"What's sex?" Aurora shrieked and ran to Nicola, her hands covering her younger sister's ears as Sirius began to explain. Pippa pulled her wand out and pointed it at Sirius in warning. Luckily he wasn't so daft as to continue and Aurora took her hands off of Nicola's ears. "Please don't do that again, Rora…Now…What is sex?"

Aurora couldn't get any redder as she shot Sirius a glare and flustered over what to say to her 10 year old sister. "You'll…You'll learn about it in your fifth year at Hogwarts!" She squeaked and shooed Nicola out before shutting the doors to the kitchen and locking them with magic. She turned back to Pippa and Sirius, her eyes wide and her chest heaving as she panted. "You…No peaking in on my room! And you…If you so much as breath the word sex to either of my little sisters, you'll lose the very thing you use to identify yourself as a man," she snapped at both of them. Sirius gave her a disbelieving look.

"You need them as much as I do, Honey…" He responded and Aurora flushed again. Pippa coughed and sent a pear flying at his head. He caught it and took a bite. "Yum."

"I'm serious!" Aurora snapped and Sirius blinked at her.

"Aurora, it's ok. I won't tell them anything…Now, this whole thing about her learning about it in fifth year…I thought we all learned it in our third year?"

"Ok…well, we did but the girls had another seminar in our fifth year." Aurora responded as Pippa nodded.

"You did? And what exactly did you learn in that seminar?" He asked, an eye brow raising suggestively.

"Birth control and the male sex drive," Pippa answered this time. "Didn't you go over this with him?" Pippa said turning to Aurora, who gulped and smiled a bit guiltily.

"Well...I haven't exactly…"

"You haven't!? Have you used protection at all?!" Pippa looked quite alarmed and Aurora frowned, shaking her head. "Aurora! What is wrong with you?!"

"I can't get pregnant, ok!? I…I can't get pregnant…" She suddenly looked very ashamed and worried.

"You what?" Sirius asked after about three minutes of complete and utter silence. He looked completely surprised and a bit betrayed. Aurora squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. Pippa went to her and wrapped her arms around her, trying to soothe her. Aurora hugged her back, clinging to her younger friend. She felt the tears threatening to fall as she held onto Pippa. When Sirius didn't get an answer, he stormed out of the room and then out of the house, the front door slamming behind him.

"Pippa…I'm pregnant but he can't know…" she whispered into Pippa's ear and she felt Pippa tense. "Please…things will only get worse if he knows…if Voldemort knows." Pippa nodded and held onto her a bit harder.

* * *

And Aurora's up to no good again. Wow! Chapter 30 already. We've only got 11 more chapters to go and then I'll be posting the sequel! Thanks to fifairies for the add! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review. -Siriusgrl88 


	31. Their Wedding

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

Sirius didn't come to Christmas dinner or to the New Year's party either and Pippa could see the toll it was taking on Aurora. Pippa noticed that her friend was growing a small bump but Aurora was doing a great job of hiding it under baggy shirts and dresses. Pippa tried to help her with everything and Aurora constantly let her know how thankful she was for Pippa being so kind and supportive. It was three days after New Years that Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt made a stop at Aurora's house to tell Pippa that they had found her mother's body. 

Pippa wasn't of much use after that but Aurora was being completely understanding. The two men hadn't given Pippa the details but they had told Aurora everything when Pippa had run upstairs to her room. They believe that Fenrir Greyback had had his way with her before and after she was murdered. They said that Lauren had been quite "cut up and bloody" when they found her "literally strewn" about the forest only five miles from the Lupin's home.

Nicola took over Pippa's chores and Italia even helped here and there, as much as a five year could. Pippa didn't leave her room until it was time to go back to Hogwarts. She cried as Aurora hugged her and waved good-bye to her. Pippa had her own compartment as the train lurched away from King's Cross Station and she cried the entire way to Hogwarts.

Aurora had gone back home and was very surprised to see Sirius waiting on the front porch for her. He was bundled in a long black wool coat with a Gryffindor sweater beneath it and a matching scarf wrapped around his neck. She walked to the porch and looked at him in surprise. "Sirius, what are you doing here?"

"Aurora…I love you no matter what. You should have told me that you couldn't get pregnant but I'm willing to forget that and move on with our relationship. I had a lot of time to think and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you…"

"Sirius, this isn't going to work out…Find someone new…" She told him, her voice sad and heavy as she turned to the front door and opened the screen door as she pulled her keys out of her purse. Sirius reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into him. Aurora gasped and tried to angle herself against him so he wouldn't feel the bump beneath her clothes but she knew it was too late when he tensed and looked down at her quizzically. She blushed and answered quickly. "I've been eating a lot…"

"Enough for two?" He snapped. Aurora's eyes closed and she pulled away from him slightly "When were you going to tell me?"

"Never?"

"Why?"

"Because…Because maybe you wouldn't get hurt---"

"What the hell are you going on about? Is this the whole 'if we're not together, you're safe from Voldemort' thing again? Aurora, he'll come after me regardless. I've managed to piss him off quite a bit lately." Aurora looked up at him with very wide eyes.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Well, Dumbledore and a bunch of us guys were out when some Death Eaters showed up. We beat them and we all got away."

"Ooooh! Damn you, Sirius Black! You're not supposed to be that stupid!"

"Hey…It was quite brave if I do say so myself…"

"Oh I suppose all of you men think it's so brave to put your lives on the line!?"

"Well, yeah…Don't change the subject, damn it! You're pregnant and you were going to hide it from me; you have been!"

"Two months."

"Come again?" He looked taken aback.

"I'm two months along…"

"And you're already showing?"

"Mum did too; at least when she was pregnant with Al, Tim, and me she did. Holly, Nicola, and Italia didn't make her show until her fifth month with each…Look, let's go inside; its cold," she said as she unlocked the front door and let them in. She placed the keys back in her purse and put her coat, purse, and scarf in the coat closet, leaving it open for him.

"Put your coat and scarf back on." He said suddenly and Aurora looked back at him in confusion.

"Why?"

"We're getting married tonight…"

* * *

Aurora tried to keep up with Sirius as he practically dragged her behind him in through Dia Mond, a small wizarding town just outside of Dublin, Ireland. Italia and Nicola trotted behind them and Aurora constantly glanced behind her to make sure they were alright. She blushed and smiled at passerby as they stared at them in interest. "Sirius…slow down…" She panted and he stopped, making her topple into his back. He turned and looked around behind them. She looked up at him and then followed his gaze. 'Ah crap…' She thought just as four cloaked figures raised their wands at them. She pulled hers out quickly and so did Sirius. 'I didn't know that Dia Mond was being run by Death Eaters!' 

"What have I told you about coming here!?" Someone yelled from behind them and Aurora spun around, her eyes falling on a tall wizard dressed in blue robes that had moons and stars upon them and a matching wizard hat. His wand was out in front of him, his blue eyes blazing angrily as he glared at all of the Death Eaters. 'Dumbledore!' She felt an immense sense of safety but shrieked in surprise when Sirius suddenly yanked her to the side, a red spell darting past them. He left her in an alley and joined Dumbledore against the Death Eaters. She huffed and watched in trepidation as Sirius and Dumbledore fought the Death Eaters; luckily they were soon joined by Remus Lupin, James and Lily Potter, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and Frank and Alice Longbottom. But just as soon as they appeared, six more Death Eaters appeared.

Aurora looked around and saw Nicola and Italia huddling behind a large sign that was propped up outside an Irish Pub. Aurora was seized by panic when a Stunning spell hit the sign and both girls shrieked; The Death Eaters had noticed as well for most looked their way and some even tried aiming at them. Aurora frowned and sent a stunning spell at a tall male Death Eater that was about to send the Killing Curse at Alice. Aurora glanced over her shoulder and saw Fenrir Greyback approaching, his yellow eyes set on the two young girls hungrily. Aurora waited till he was right next to the alley she was in and then she launched herself at him, her body weight catching him off guard.

He lost his balance and both of them fell into the snow, grunting and snarling. She quickly pulled herself from him and grabbed her wand, pointing it at his mouth. 'Ligamen Adstringo!' she said in her head and a needle and thick thread slithered out of her wand and manually stitched his lips together, blood squirting out as the needle punctured his upper and bottom lips continually, making him cry out and growl in pain.

She stood quickly and ran to her sisters, dragging them into a store, where there were people who were hiding. Aurora pulled them behind the counter and shushed them, putting a Disillusionment Charm on them. The two girls were invisible to everyone now. Aurora reassured them that she would be back to get them and that their safe word would be 'November'. The girls nodded and Aurora barely made it out before she left the store and joined the fray.

She noticed one Death Eater in particular and knew immediately that it was her older brother Alfred. He was currently fighting Molly and he was close to beating her. "Molly!" Aurora yelled and stepped in front of Molly just as Alfred sent the Cruciatus Curse at her. Aurora blocked it and glared at him. He removed his mask, his own eyes glaring back at her.

"Well, hello, Aurora…"

Aurora screamed the disarming spell in her mind and the spell caught him off guard. He was hit squarely in the chest and was sent flying backwards. He skidded across the snow, grunting as he hit a rock here and there. Aurora felt someone collide with her side and she fell to the ground, her wand falling out of her hand and into the snow somewhere ahead of her. She panicked and looked around for it desperately. Just as she grabbed it, she felt an immensely painful stab in her leg. She screamed and turned to see her brother kneeling where he had finally stopped sliding. He was panting hard and then began to look for his own wand as Aurora looked at her leg.

A silver and black handled dagger was embedded in her calve. 'Lowly bastard!' She reached down and yanked it out of her leg, crying out in pain as she did so. She looked up just in time to see Bellatrix aim her wand at her. Aurora dodged the Killing Curse narrowly and she stood, blood leaking down her leg, soaking her jeans, sock, and shoe. Aurora glared at Bellatrix, putting all of her weight on her good leg, her own wand was pointed at Bellatrix and that's when Bellatrix attacked again.

'Protego!' An invisible shield blocked the stunning spell that was aimed at her. 'Conjunctus!' A blast of bright blue shot out from the tip of Aurora's wand and hit Bellatrix square in the face. Her dark eyes began to swell and crust as she screamed and reached up to her face, trying to wipe away the mucus and crust from her eyes, which only made things worse. Aurora turned just in time to see Alfred stand and aim the Killing Curse at her. Molly blocked it and Aurora looked at her with a small smile but soon Molly was busy with a different Death Eater. Aurora glared angrily at her older brother. "So we're here now, are we?" She asked him as they began to circle each other, both glaring daggers.

"Where?"

"Killing each other…Don't act stupid, Alfred."

"Ah!" He shouted angrily and then a red flash came from his wand and hit Aurora in the chest. She shrieked and fell to the firm, snow covered ground. She writhed on it in pain; her eyes squeezed shut as she instinctively placed her hands on her belly. She suddenly felt very glad that she had put a Pregnancy Protection Charm on herself when she found out she was pregnant; she was sure that all of this falling and the Curse that she was being inflicted with would have dislodged the egg, causing her to lose the baby. She clutched her wand to herself, trying not to scream. She heard someone yell for her and then the pain was gone. She panted as she lifted her head from the ground, snow clinging to her hair. She saw Sirius battling Alfred now and she struggled to get up, her leg protesting.

She winced and looked around; Lily and James were working as a team against Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Frank and Alice were fighting alongside each other against Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Molly was busy with Avery and Remus was ducking and sending jinxes and hexes from and at Wilkes. Aurora had to do a double take as she saw Arthur battling Severus. He hit Arthur with a stunning spell and Aurora hobbled as quickly as she could to him. She stood between the fallen, disoriented Arthur, and a very pissed off Severus Snape. He had his wand raised but blinked in slight surprise when Aurora stood in his way of Arthur. Her arms were at her sides, slightly spread out; her wand was in her right hand, not pointed at him. She was pleading to him with her eyes and he frowned deeply at her.

"Move, Badeau!" He yelled, his hand flexing against his wand.

"No, Severus…Please…What are you doing with them?"

"I'm fighting for the greater good!"

"What good is there in taking lives and torturing people!?" She snapped, her wand now pointed at him just in case he decided to attack her. He didn't answer her but instead sent a bright yellow stream at her but she blocked it. "Severus, please! Stop this!"

Again no answer but a dark orange hex sent her way. She again blocked it and frowned. 'This is tedious!' She blocked hex after jinx after hex. "Severus…stop---"

"Fight back, damn it!" He yelled at her and sent a stunning spell at her. She deflected it again and glared at him, her eyes narrowed to slits.

'Fine! Petrificus Totalus!' She didn't feel victorious when the spell hit him and rendered him immobile. His arms seized up at this sides and his hand was stuck around his wand as he tipped over, unable to move anything but his eyes. Soon she was hearing popping everywhere around her. 'They're leaving?' Alfred cursed and grabbed Snape before Disapparating. She looked around and before she knew it, it was just the group of her friends and her fiancé. She turned to Arthur as Molly said "ennervate", releasing him from the spell cast on him by Severus. "Oomph!" She gasped out when Sirius practically tackled her and held her to him tightly.

"Are you alright?" He looked down at her and pushed some tendrils of hair behind her ear. She nodded and he visibly relaxed. Aurora gently pulled away from Sirius and ambled gingerly over to the store that Nicola and Italia were still in. She went behind the counter.

"November," she said and removed the Disillusionment Charm from her younger sisters. She checked them over and then brought them back outside.

"We need to leave here now," Dumbledore suddenly said and everyone looked at him. He motioned for them to all follow them and they did so. Aurora limped and winced, looking down at her leg. Sirius noticed this and looked down at her wound. He grumbled angrily and bent down to examine her leg.

"I'll take care of this when we get to where we're supposed to be going to…" He said to her and lifted her into his arms. She squeaked, her own arms wrapping around his neck on instinct. Lily giggled at her and they continued to follow Dumbledore.

"Where are we going, anyway?" She asked him softly and he grinned.

"There's a little church up here that Dumbledore suggested we get married in. He's the one who invited everyone here. He didn't know Death Eaters were going to be here…We'll most likely have to make this quick…Do you mind?"

"I always wanted a small wedding…" She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. She made a face and wriggled her nose. "You need to shave…"

They had to walk a bit of ways outside of the town of Dia Mond but about half an hour later, they had reached the quaint little church. Sirius put her down and walked with the guys down the aisle to meet Dumbledore there. Lily, Molly, and Alice pulled Aurora, Nicola, and Italia into another room and began to conjure up a wedding dress, a veil, high heeled shoes, a tiara, a necklace with matching earrings and then dresses for themselves. Aurora quickly changed and then looked into the body mirror at her reflection. The dress was beautiful; beaded in the bodice which was a corset and also beaded in the arms. The veil hung over her face and she frowned.

"I don't like the veil…" She said and Lily frowned too.

"Yeah…It's a bit much." She agreed and made it vanish from Aurora's head. Andromeda showed up with Nymphadora and Aurora grinned at them. Andromeda did everyone's hair and make-up before she changed herself and her daughter. "So…are you nervous?" Lily asked Aurora and she blushed.

"No…Well, kind of. But I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with him," Aurora answered, smiling. Lily and the girls sighed romantically. Alice made all of the bouquets and filled Nymphadora's basket with rose white petals.

"Why the rush though? Why couldn't you have a big, flashy wedding like Lily, Alice, and Molly did? I mean, I didn't because I was pregnant before he married me…Oh my…You're pregnant!?" Andromeda shrieked and the girls had to shush her. Aurora just blushed and nodded. The girls squealed and then quieted when a knock came from the door. James peeked his head in and grinned at all of them.

"You ladies ready yet? We, unfortunately, have to make this quick. We don't know how long it will take for the Death Eaters to find us again…" He said and the girls nodded. "Aurora, did you want anyone to walk you down the aisle?"

"Yeah…Can you get Remus? No offense, James…I've just known Remus longer," she told him and he shook his head with a smile.

"That's alright; I understand," He took Lily out first and then Ted, Arthur, and Frank all came to take Andromeda, Molly, and Alice. Nicola, Italia, and Nymphadora stood with Aurora and Nymphadora looked up at her with large blinking eyes.

"Aunty Rora?"

Aurora looked down at her and then squatted down to get eye-level with the six year old. "Yes, Dora?"

"Why are you marrying Cousin Sirius?"

"Because I love him, Dora…When you love someone, you want to be with them for a very long time. Marriage is a way of keeping them with you."

"Really? What's love though?"

"Love is the best feeling in the world. You'll do things that you never thought you would when you're in love…You'd give up everything for that person."

"So…Daddy and Mummy don't love each other than."

"What? Dora, your parents love each other."

Nymphadora shook her head. "No, they fight a lot. They scream and yell and it makes me cry."

"Oh Dora…Sweety, every marriage comes with its good times and its bad times. But if the people in the marriage really love each other, they can last through anything. Your parents love each other dearly, Dora. They'll always be together."

"Really?" The little girl sounded so hopeful that Aurora almost cried. She hugged the little girl and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, really. Now…You get to go throw flowers all over the aisle for me." Nymphadora smiled and left the room just as Remus came in. Nicola and Italia followed; Nicola held Sirius' ring in her hands and Italia held Aurora's ring in hers.

"Ready, Rora?"

"Yes…Thank you for coming, Remus; it means a lot to me."

"You're like a sister to me; I couldn't miss this." He offered her his left arm and she linked hers with his, smiling at him. "Now it's time for you to get married."

"Yes…Yes it is." She responded softly and an overwhelming feeling of complete jubilation and exhilaration coursed through her veins as they stepped out of the room.

* * *

Ligamen: _Latin_- string or thread 

Adstringo: _Latin_- to draw together, tighten, compress, compact

I don't know how accurate these are but I got them from a Latin to English website that I can't remember now lol

* * *

Thanks to zen-chic-78 for the add and review! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter :) I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Only 10 chapters to go! Please review. Thanks -Siriusgrl88 


	32. A Special Delivery

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :) And now Annalisa Dairine Black is also © to me.

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

Aurora and Lily were having a blast being pregnant together with Alice. All of them had one baby shower at one time in late June; Lily and Alice looked like they were about to pop. A lot of people had shown up; Andromeda, Ted, Nymphadora, and their new addition, a baby boy; Arthur and Molly Weasley with their growing brood (they had just added child number six to their list of sons); Aurora's sisters and her aunts, uncles, and cousins from her father's side; Lily's parents, her older brothers, Ash and Birch, her older sisters, Petunia and Daisy, and her younger sister, Rose; James' parents and grandparents; Remus and Pippa; Dumbledore, Hagrid, most of the professors from Hogwarts; Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, and many of the Order members. And they all brought some form of a gift.

The entire party was out in the backyard at Lily's and James' house except for Aurora. She stood in the kitchen, filling a glass of water up, one hand resting on her seven month belly. She gazed at everyone in the backyard through the kitchen window; they were all laughing and talking and having fun but for some reason, Aurora couldn't fully enjoy this. She looked away from the window and sighed heavily. 'I wish you were right enough to be here, Mum…And Poppy, I wish you were here too,' she thought to herself as she looked at a picture on the fridge. Aurora stopped the water and went to the fridge, gently pulling the picture from it's magnets. She looked at it and smiled wide.

There she was with Lily, Andromeda, and Pippa on Lily's wedding day. They were all laughing, their arms over each other's shoulders, their eyes twinkling as Pippa waved enthusiastically and Andromeda was doubled over with laughter as Lily tried to help her stand up straight for the picture. Aurora was covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes shut tight as she laughed into her palm. Aurora put the photo back on the fridge and turned to head back out to the backyard, but she faltered in her steps and gasped softly when she saw James. She smiled quickly afterwards and placed her free hand over her heart. "James…You scared me," she giggled and James chuckled.

"Sorry, Rora," he said affectionately. "I'm making copies of all of the photos from the wedding. I'll give you a batch."

"Thank you."

"Aurora, are you alright? You seem distracted…"

She sighed and looked back out the window. "I am. I'm sorry. I just…I see Molly and Alice and Lily with their mums and dads and I can't help but feel a bit lonely. I just wish that my mum was right enough in the head to be here." She felt him gently clasp her shoulder and she looked up at him with teary eyes. "I'm sorry, James; I don't mean to put a damper on the mood."

"Don't worry about it; it's completely understandable. You're having your first child and you want your mother to see you like this. You want her to be in your child's life."

"Since when did you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart; I just was a prat when I was younger."

"Ha…you can say that again."

"Hey now; don't be cruel." She giggled at him and patted his hand.

"Sirius and I want you and Lily to be our child's godparents…Will you?" He grinned down at her and then hugged her as tight as he could without harming her.

"Of course! We'd be honored! We'd also be honored if you and Sirius were godparents to our child."

"Oh James…Of course we will be."

"Good…Now, let's go join the party." He took her hand and led her out, passing her to Sirius before he sat next to his own pregnant wife at the table.

"Aurora, I do believe we need to make some arrangements…" Dumbledore said as he placed a gently hand on her lower back. She turned to him slightly and bit her lip; nodding. "Don't look so nervous, Miss Badeau; you still have your job. You'll just have a substitute until you don't need one. Now, that is if you would like to still have this job."

"I do…"

"Well, good. Honestly, I didn't want to go out looking for another one," he smiled at her and she giggled. "Now…when do you think you'll be able to officially start?"

"Well, my doctor told me that 26 weeks would be good enough."

"So…February then?"

"Yes, about February 14th?"

"Sounds fine to me; we'll get everything situated for you, then."

"Thank you so much, Albus."

"Ah, it is nothing."

* * *

July came quickly and Aurora was feeling quite uncomfortable in her pregnancy. She had been feeling pains every once in a whilea few weeks into July but didn't feel the need to let Sirius worry so she kept it to herself pretty well. No one could say that Aurora was weak; she had a high pain tolerance. But today was different. No, today the pains were more common and more painful and Aurora was becoming a bit nervous. She still refused to tell Sirius until she felt that something was really wrong. 'There's no way this baby is coming yet…The doctor said I still have another month and a half left.'

Aurora stepped back into the house after gardening, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She knew better than to be working out in the heat while pregnant, but Sirius never did the gardening so she was stuck doing it. Nicola and Italia walked into the room and smiled at her. She smiled back and looked down suddenly as she felt a warm liquid suddenly gush down her legs. Nicola looked at her and gasped.

"SIRIUS!" she screamed and ran from the room with Italia close behind. "SIRIUS BLACK! YOUR WIFE, MY SISTER, HAD HER WATER JUST BREAK!" she screamed up the stairs as Aurora blinked and stood utterly still. There was no response so Nicola rolled her eyes.

"THAT MEANS THAT THE BABY IS COMING NOW!" Holly screamed from upstairs but within seconds, she was downstairs and rushing to Aurora to comfort her.. Everything was quiet except for a thud from him falling out of bed and then the soft thumping he was making by jumping up and down to get dressed. Then they could hear him literally running out of the room. He ran down the stairs at top speed and turned on the tiled entry way, his socks making him slip. He yelped when he hit the back of the sofa and toppled over it and onto the floor but he was up again and running/sliding to Aurora.

"It's too soon! Isn't it!?" He sounded panicked and Aurora started to reply when he interrupted, yelling at the girls. "Get the luggage that's in the coat closet and get it into the car!"

"Wouldn't it be faster to just Apparate to St. Mungo's?" Nicola asked and Sirius blinked at her. He then nodded and grabbed Aurora's hands, yanking her after him.

"Breathing exercises, Aurora! Breath!"

"I am…" she said as she calmly did her breathing exercises, one hand on her large belly, the other in Sirius' firm grasp.

"Don't panic, Aurora! You need to be very calm for the baby!"

"Sirius…you're the one panicking; not me," she answered and he blinked at her.

"Right. Hold on now." He pulled her and the girls to him and then they Disapparated, reappearing in an alley about three stores down from St. Mungo's. They were lucky that there weren't any muggles out on that street as they went through the window of a store. Sirius walked them all over to the front desk. "Miss…My wife here is in labor."

"What's the name?" The petite blonde witch asked while smacking her bubblegum most annoyingly.

"Aurora Black."

"Hmmm…says that she's not due for another month and a half, Mr. Black. You are Mr. Black, aren't you?"

"Yes…and I know she's not due yet but her water broke and…Are you having contractions?" he asked Aurora and she nodded, looking sheepish.

"I have been for the last three days…"

"And you never told me?"

"Well, I didn't think it was anything important…"

He sighed and looked back at the blonde witch, who had been watching them balefully while smacking her gum. "Look, she's ready to have this baby…"

"But she's not due yet, sir."

"I know that, miss, but she's still ready to have the baby!"

"You'll have to wait to see a doctor, sir. You can go sit over there…" He looked at her incredulously as she went back to filing her nails. Aurora had a sudden and very painful contraction, squeezing Sirius' hand as hard as she could. He yelped and started to bend down as he mouthed the word 'ow' about ten times. Aurora looked very pissed all of a sudden and reached across the desk (with much difficulty due to her swollen belly) and grabbed the witch by her hair; the witch gave a cry and looked up at Aurora with wide, terrified eyes.

"Listen you! I'm having this baby whether he or she is due or not! GET. ME. MY. DOCTOR. _NOW_!" The witched 'eeped' as Aurora let go of her hair and the witch called Aurora's doctor immediately. Soon a male nurse wheeled a wheelchair over to her and then wheeled her away to a room on the bottom floor. She noticed that there were many other pregnant women there, all being consoled by their husbands as they waited to give birth. The male nurse wheeled her to the end of the room, sitting her next to Alice Longbottom. She looked over and smiled at Alice. "Hello, Alice. You too, hmm?"

"Yes…I thought you weren't due for another month?"

"Well, I was supposed to have this baby in the middle of September but I think she wants to come out now."

"You know the gender?"

"Yes…well, not for sure. But my intuition tells me that it's a girl." She suddenly gasped, her hands on her stomach. "Oh ow…They're getting worse…" She grumbled and felt Sirius grasp her hand in his. Holly held Italia's hand as Nicola looked around observantly. Soon, Aurora's Mediwitch came to her, smiling. She was a short and very petite woman with short brown hair and matching eyes. She was pretty but plain and extremely nice but a bit arrogant.

"Aurora…You're not supposed to be here yet."

"I know but this baby doesn't care," Aurora laughed softly and squeezed Sirius' hand hard as another contraction came. The Mediwitch kneeled down and listen to the baby with her stethoscope.

"They're ready. Let's get you to the Delivery Ward…" She said with a sweet smile. "Mr. Black, if you will…" She motioned for him to wheel Aurora behind her and Sirius nodded. "Ah…the kiddies will have to wait in the waiting room."

"Um…They have no one to watch over th—"

"Remus is here, Aurora. He'll watch them with Peter," Sirius reassured and Aurora felt a lot better. She relaxed a bit and let Sirius wheel her out of the room and down the hall to the Delivery Ward. She was taken to the very back where there was a clean, empty bed. Sirius had to turn around as she changed into the birthing dress and then he helped her onto the bed.

He stood by her side the entire time, well into the night. She squeezed his hand painfully hard but he tried to be strong for her. They found out a good hour and a half into the pushes that Alice Longbottom had given birth to a baby boy that they had named Neville. Aurora had growled about how unfair it was that Alice had already had her baby. Sirius had laughed but not for long for Aurora squeezed his hand in a bone-crushing grip and yanked him down to her, yelling at him.

"_YOU_. DID. THIS. TO. _ME_!!!!"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Aurora, my hand!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" And she began to cry as the Mediwitch told her to push. She did and Sirius about died from the pain in his hand. About three hours later, the Mediwitch exclaimed happily, "Congratulations! It's a girl!"

Aurora cried and cried and repeatedly told Sirius that she was sorry for hurting his hand and yelling at him. The baby was wailing and Sirius was becoming quite insane with all of the noise; he even shot a glare at the witch nurses cleaning his daughter. Mediwitch Ramona cradled the baby girl to her as she took the crying little girl to her mother and father a few minutes later. As soon as the baby was in Aurora's arms, she became silent and looked up at her mother with big, beautiful grey eyes.

Aurora cooed and stroked her daughter's head lovingly. "She has your eyes, Sirius…" she whispered lovingly to her husband and smiled when he kissed her head and then his daughter's. "What are we going to name you, little one?" She gently rubbed the baby girl's cheek and then kissed her forehead. "She's so soft…"

Sirius noticed that they were alone now and he looked back down at Aurora. "What about Annalisa; after my great-great-great-great-great-great aunt?"

"Wow…that's a lot of greats. But…she was a Black, wasn't she?"

"No, actually. She was a Muggle who was married by Castor Vega Black, my great-great-great-great-great-great uncle; her name before she got married to Castor was Annalisa Mary Quintin. Castor was the first of my family to ever be blasted off of the family tree," he said it proudly and Aurora smiled sweetly at him.

"Agreed. What about a middle name though?"

"Your turn…"

"Hmmm…How about…Dairine; after Merlin's first daughter?"

"I love it."

Holly, Nicola, and Italia were led into the room by Sirius, Pippa, Remus, James, Lily, and Peter. The younger girls rushed to the bed and Aurora smiled down at them. "Do you want to hold her, Holly?"

Holly nodded, beaming as Aurora gently handed the baby girl to her. "Support her head…That's it." Aurora directed and then rested her arms against her. Holly looked down at the sleeping baby girl as Nicola peered over her shoulder.

"She's so little…" Nicola whispered and Aurora nodded.

"Why is she so little, Sissy?" Italia asked as she climbed up onto the bed with Pippa's help. She scooted towards Aurora and leaned against her as Aurora wrapped one arm around her.

"She's little because she's brand new. We all start off really small; even you did."

"Really? I was that small?"

"You were a few inches bigger but yes, you were small." Italia thought about it and then nodded in understanding. Aurora watched as Annalisa was passed carefully around. Sirius held her last. He gazed down at that little face and couldn't take his eyes off of her as he slowly sat down in a chair next to the bed. Italia peered down over the railing of the bed.

"She's very pink, Sissy," Italia whispered as she watched the little girl. Everyone laughed softly and Annalisa made a very cute coo as she moved in Sirius' hands. James and Remus gently patted him on the back, both grinning like idiots.

"Congratulations, mate, you're a father now," James pronounced as he wrapped a protective arm around Lily. Sirius blinked and looked up at everyone and then looked at Aurora, smiling slowly.

"I'm a father…"

* * *

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Finally, Annalisa is born! She'll be a main role in the sequel. And Neville made his appearance too :) Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks -Siriusgrl88 


	33. Another Delivery and Some Remorse?

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

Aurora lay in the hospital bed, sleeping lightly as Sirius cradled and soothed the waking Annalisa. She cooed and wriggled, making Sirius grin. The Mediwitch had said that she was extremely healthy for a premature baby.

"Of course you are; you're my daughter," he whispered proudly and kissed Annalisa's soft head. While they waited in the Post-Delivery Ward, Lily and James were in the Delivery Ward, awaiting the arrival of their child. Sirius felt so much excitement; he had a very hard time containing it. Aurora mumbled in her sleep and rolled over, her eyes cracking open slightly as she awoke.

"Sirius?" He looked up at her as she called his name softly and he went to her bed, smiling down at her. "Is Lily out yet?"

"No, but I'm sure they're almost there," he answered as he sat down in a chair next to her bed and Aurora smiled softly.

"Is she awake?" Aurora asked about Annalisa and Sirius nodded.

"Yeah. I think she's hungry…" Aurora held her arms out and he gently, and a bit reluctantly, placed his daughter in her mother's arms. Aurora brought Annalisa to her breast and began to feed her, making Sirius flush and turn away. Aurora giggled. About ten minutes later, five minutes after Aurora had finished, James rushed in, jumping up and down.

"A BOY! I HAVE A SON!" he yelled and Aurora grinned, lifting her baby girl up.

"Did you hear that, Annalisa? You have a boy as a friend now! Two boys in fact…Aren't you lucky?" Sirius and James were bouncing around and dancing enthusiastically. They tried to get Frank Longbottom to dance and jump up and down but to no real avail. Aurora laughed and smiled as she watched the two grown men screaming and jumping out of pure joy.

* * *

"Lil?"

"Hmmm?" Lily looked over at her friend as they lay next to each other in the Post-Delivery Ward.

"Can you believe that we're mothers now?"

"It's a bit odd, isn't it?" Lily giggled as Aurora nodded.

"I never thought I'd be married and have a baby girl…How can so much joy come at such a dark time?"

"I don't know…I really don't know…" Lily answered as they both gazed at the babies in their arms.

"How is Harry?"

"He's asleep…He looks so much like James."

"Yeah, yeah, he does…but he has your eyes," Aurora said and both women smiled.

"Yes…Yes, he has my eyes."

* * *

Three days later, Alice, Aurora, and Lily were released from the hospital, exiting it with two baby boys and one baby girl. They all went their separate ways and before Aurora knew it, she was home again. There was a long, pink banner hanging over the porch with silver lettering which shimmered and moved in the sunlight. They spelled out 'Congratulations, Black Family, On Your New Arrival!' Aurora smiled and kissed Sirius' jaw as her neighbors came out of their houses, clapping and cheering. Aurora blushed and waved at them all.

"They did all of this?"

"I didn't do it," Sirius replied honestly, a grin on his face.

* * *

Months passed by quickly; it was now November, and things were getting progressively worse in the world. Muggles were being attacked more and more as wizards and witches began to disappear. Andromeda, Ted, Nymphadora, and their baby boy, Aquila Cepheus Tonks, all went into Hiding again and Aurora was appointed their new Secret Keeper. They had found out that Wilma Cornfoot had been tortured for the information on them and then killed.

Aurora finished writing a letter to Lily and folded it before inserting a picture update of Annalisa and putting it all in an envelope. She sent her snowy owl, Isis, out with it and then went into the baby's room. Aurora peeped over the crib's railing and smiled as Annalisa gurgled and wriggled happily on her bed. Aurora lifted her up, cooing and swinging her gently around. Annalisa gurgled happily again and Aurora grinned before kissing her child and cradling her to her chest. She walked out of the room and went downstairs, calling for Italia.

"Italia?"

"Yes?" The bright young girl sat on the sofa, a thick book propped on her legs.

"What are you reading?"

"Nicola's Hogwarts, A History."

"That's quite a book to be reading at your age…"

"I'm smart," the five year old said matter-of-factly.

Aurora laughed and went into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the bowl before going back into the living room. She sat down next to her five year old sister. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the middle of chapter eight; The History of the Headmasters."

"Geez…Kiddo, I do believe you are the smartest of all your siblings," she commented and took a bite out of the green apple.

Italia sighed and booked marked her page before closing the book and looking up at Aurora. "When can we see Nicola and Holly?"

"Not till Christmas…It's not that far off, Italia."

"I know…I miss them."

Aurora frowned slightly, shifted Annalisa a bit, and then reached out, patting her young sister on her back gently. "Did you want to visit Papa today?"

Italia nodded her head vigorously and then bounced up off of the sofa and ran upstairs to her room to get changed. Aurora went back to the kitchen to grab her purse and car keys. She settled little Annalisa into her traveling carrier and buckled her in before taking her out to the van and putting her into it, hitching the carrier onto the back seat right behind her. Italia came rushing out and climbed into the van, sitting right next to Annalisa. Italia buckled up and watched as Aurora got into the driver's seat and started the van.

It only took them about an hour to reach the cemetery, making it 5 pm when Aurora stopped the car. The wind was getting cooler as Aurora stepped out of the van and looked around before pulling Annalisa out of her carrier. Aurora held the baby girl close to her and wrapped a soft, thick pink baby's blanket around her; a gift from Dumbledore. Italia walked around the back of the van to join Aurora and together, with baby Annalisa protectively gathered in Aurora's arms, they walked towards the site where their father, grandparents, brother, sister-in-law, and nephews were buried. As they began to wind through the graves, Italia staying quite close to her side, Aurora noticed a figure dressed in a long black jacket standing at her father's grave.

Aurora slowed her walk as they came nearer and nearer. She instinctively glanced over her shoulders as she continued. Aurora could see the man's short hair moving against his head as a cool breeze blew, making Aurora's own hair fly around her face. She stopped and stooped down to Italia.

"Stay right here; don't move," Aurora whispered to the 5 year old and then very gently passed Annalisa to her little arms. Italia struggled a bit but finally got Annalisa to a comfortable spot as Aurora slowly progressed forward.

Aurora was very cautious as she approached the tall man and she had the distinct feeling that he was her older brother, Alfred. As she got to his side, standing about five feet away from him, she peered into his face and was presumed correct. She frowned and looked back around her and motioned for Italia to hide behind a very large headstone. Aurora turned back to him and watched for a few minutes as he just gazed at his father's grave. Aurora followed his eyes and looked upon the white marble headstone that lay embedded in the ground, soft green grass trying to reach over it. She couldn't help the tears prickling in her eyes as she read what the headstone said.

**_Aberto Adriano Badeau_**

**_December 18, 1922- November 5, 1977_**

**_Beloved Son, Brother, Uncle, Husband, Father, and Grandfather_**

**_In God's Loving Hands_**

And just next to his name was:

**_Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle)_**

**_January 1, 1926-_**

**_Beloved Daughter, Sister, Mother, and Grandmother_**

**_"No Snowflake Ever Falls In The Wrong Place."_**

The quote beneath Aberto's name was decided on by his parents, Massimo and Dolores. And Alicia's quote was decided upon by Aurora, with help from Tim. It was a quote that she always said to them.

They stood in silence before she caught him moving slightly out of the corner of her eye. She immediately plunged her hand into her jeans, her fingers wrapping around the handle of her holly wood wand. She had it pulled out and discreetly pointed at him as they both turned to each other. She heard Italia squeak but Aurora just glared at Alfred.

"Why are you here?" she asked venomously. Alfred just glared back, his hands slowly rising in surrender, no wand in either of them.

"He was my father too, you know, Aurora…" he responded quietly and Aurora had the sudden urge to spit in his face. She glowered at him, her wand becoming more discreet.

"You gave him up, if you don't recall, Alfred; to me, that cancels out any right you had as his son," she snapped, her eyes flashing.

"I didn't kill him, Aurora!"

"You might as well have! You gave him to Voldemort without a second thought! You just said 'Oh here, Uncle' and handed Mum and Dad to him on an effing golden platter!" she hissed, her jaw clenching. Alfred looked away, his own jaw clenching. "You can't tell me that you're feeling remorse now? Not after what you also did to our grandparents…and what you did do Tim and his family. Do you honestly feel guilty now, for killing your own twin brother and your sister-in-law?" He didn't answer. "Al…Alfred, you could become a spy…" She said it without really thinking.

The thought of her brother feeling remorse for what he had done sent an exhilarating wave of joy and hope coursing through her veins. Maybe, just maybe, she could convince him to become a spy or go into Hiding as Dumbledore or herself as his Secret Keeper.

He barely looked up at her, his eyes almost unreadable. "A spy? Do you think I'm a complete nutter?"

"Alfred, if you're having second thoughts about what you've joined, like Regulus did, than the Order can help you! You could become a spy for us and pretend that you're a spy for them! Or, if you don't want to be in that much danger, you could go into Hiding! Dumbledore, or I, could be your Secret Keeper!" She couldn't keep the slightly excited tone out of her voice as she spoke, her eyes glittering.

"You're loony, you know that? Spy against the Dark Lord?! Impossible! No. I won't become a spy." He turned from her and faced Tim's and Thekla's graves now. Aurora took a few steps forward, her left hand reaching out to gently rest against his beck. She felt him tense and she removed her hand, walking around to face him again instead.

"Then go into Hiding, Al. You'll need to convince Dumbledore to trust you, but it shouldn't be too hard…Please, Al, please. At least think about it." She sounded urgent and hopeful. She didn't quite know what to make of her sudden change of heart. Perhaps it was the prospect of getting another family member back that made her so overjoyed or perhaps she had always hoped that this day would come.

He kept his eyes adverted from hers and suddenly she knew that he had never felt remorse; no guilt. He was here to mock them. A tense, pregnant silence stretched between them; his eyes remained strained away from her as she stared at him incredulously.

After about eight minutes, she finally broke the silence, speaking her assumption. "You only came here to mock them, didn't you? You came here to gloat that, here you are, alive and well, while they're buried…dead." His eyes snapped to hers and she knew she was right. Her heart seemed to solidify in her chest, her eyes becoming cold and hard, almost dark. "Leave."

Without a word, he twisted and, with an audible _pop_, was gone. Aurora glared stonily at the spot that he once stood. She suddenly felt a small hand grab and gently pull on the hem of her jacket. She looked down to see a crying Italia and a sleeping Annalisa. Aurora knew that Italia understood. She knew that Alfred was just as lost to them as their father, Tim, grandparents, sister-in-law, and nephews were.

* * *

Thanks to eloquent-dreams for the add! I hope everyone liked this chapter. Please review! Thanks -Siriusgrl88

P.S. I will be in Cali this next week so I probably won't update until the week after (I'll try for Tuesday!). Sorry about that! But we're almost done and then I can start posting the sequel. Ciao.


	34. The Locket

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

Sirius was gone again and it was dark out. Aurora paced the living room. Italia was fast asleep in her room and Annalisa slept in her crib in Holly's abandoned room. The baby monitor sat on the coffee table, small whimpers and gurgles from the baby girl coming from it occasionally. Pippa sat on the sofa, trying to read a book by some witch, but her eyes kept going to Aurora. Finally, Pippa closed the book with a heavy sigh and looked at Aurora, one brow raised.

"Aurora, stop; you're making me nervous," Pippa snapped slightly. The dark haired young woman stopped briefly, not looking at Pippa. Pippa watched her and noticed that her left leg began to twitch and then she was pacing again. Pippa rolled her eyes and opened her book again. About an hour later, Sirius walked through the front door and Pippa heard Aurora gasp sharply. Pippa turned and her eyes widened. Sirius was dragging an invisible someone through the door as Aurora rushed to it and closed it when Sirius had gotten the invisible someone over the threshold.

Aurora kneeled down and yanked the Invisibility Cloak off of a bloody and unconscious James. Lily suddenly appeared beside her and Aurora squeaked in surprise, one hand fluttering against her chest. Pippa stood and ran into the kitchen, grabbing the First Aid kit. She kneeled next to James and removed the blood from him with a wave of her almond wood wand. Sirius, Lily, and Aurora lifted him and placed him on the sofa before Aurora took the kit from Pippa and sat down next to James.

She hissed softly between her teeth as she gently moved his head to his left shoulder, exposing a gaping wound on the right side of his neck. "Severus?" she asked as she cleaned the wound. She glanced up at a panting and nodding Sirius. He looked grim and dirty, blood covering him as well. She frowned, took care of James quickly before she went to Sirius.

"I'm fine…Sectumsempra; his signature move," Sirius grumbled, explaining how James got so badly injured. Aurora wiped the grime off of his face and he sighed. He stopped trying to stop her as she fussed over him. Lily was sitting with James, silent tears running down her cheeks. Aurora went to her and gently placed a hand on her back. Lily looked up at her and Aurora pulled her up into a hug.

"Who were you fighting?" Pippa asked about five minutes later as Aurora busied herself in the kitchen, making hot cinnamon tea. Sirius sat at the kitchen table, holding a pack of ice against his head as Pippa stood leaning against the island counter; Lily refused to leave James' side. Sirius pulled the pack of ice from his head and gingerly touched the bump on his head; he winced and put the ice back on it.

"Well…Severus for one. Er…Avery, Wilkes, Karkaroff, Travers, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan, Alfred…Oh and Voldemort himself was there," he whispered the last part but Aurora still caught it. She whirled around, her eyes huge.

"What?!"

"It's alright! No one died!" he rushed to reassure her.

"Who was with you?" Pippa asked to slightly change the subject. Sirius looked up at her again and answered.

"Frank and Alice, Molly and Arthur; though Molly should have been at home with the kids…Er…Ted, Marlene and her parents and brother, James and Lily…um…me and Dumbledore. Marlene and her parents had to fall back to their house about fifteen minutes into the battle. Ted was injured pretty badly but Molly got him out of there. She didn't come back though. Frank got Wilkes pretty good and Arthur deflected the Killing Curse from Voldemort that was aimed at Frank; I believe that's the second time Frank's been aimed at by Voldemort. Alice was battling Bellatrix and was stunned unfortunately. Voldemort was advancing on her, but she seemed to come around just as he was pointing his wand in her face. She was able to deflect that Killing Curse; making it the third time she's gotten away from him.

"Frank got Avery before he was wounded by Karkaroff; he and Alice Disapparated. Arthur got Karkaroff and then Rabastan before he told Dumbledore that he had to leave. I got Rodolphus pretty good, if I do say so myself. James was battling Severus the entire time and unfortunately, Snivellus was able to disarm James and then attacked him when he was wandless. After I wounded Rodolphus, he and Bellatrix got out of there and then Rabastan and Karkaroff followed them. Wilkes had to get Avery out of there too.

"Voldemort was battling Dumbledore, I was battling Alfred, and Lily was battling Travers. I got Alfred with the Immobulus Hex just as James went down. I Stunned Severus and grabbed James just as Lily Stunned Travers; Dumbledore yelled at us to leave and Lily deflected the Killing Curse that Voldemort sent at us. Then we left."

"Oh, I hope Dumbledore's ok!" Pippa exclaimed, looking worried. Aurora nodded but replied.

"Knowing Dumbledore, he probably scared Voldemort enough to get him going. He's probably fine." Sirius nodded in agreement and watched Aurora's backside as she bustled out of the kitchen to give Lily a cup of tea. Pippa saw this and hit him over the head with her book. He winced and glared at her.

"Hey!"

"Shhh!" Aurora shushed as she came back into the kitchen to grab James a cup. She poured tea in it and then walked back out of the kitchen. Again Sirius watched but when Pippa raised the book over his head, he grabbed her wrist and glared up at her again.

"I have a right to check _my wife_ out," he growled and Pippa blushed, leaving the room to sit in the recliner in the living room. Aurora came back into the kitchen and sat in his lap with a soft sigh. She wrapped one arm around his neck as she gingerly pulled the ice pack out of his hand and away from his head. She gazed at the bump, a dark bruise already forming on it and around it. Sirius grinned as his eyes feasted on her cleavage, her bosom being right in his face because of her position. She placed the ice pack back on his bump before she scuffed his ear, twisting it slightly.

"Do you not have any manners, Sirius Black?" she asked, one brow lifting. He smiled sheepishly.

"It's not my fault you're attractive," he answered and grinned when she blushed, a small smile curving her lips. He gently pressed his lips to hers and she sighed softly against him as she settled in his lap.

"Quite the flatterer, aren't you?" she whispered as she placed her right hand against his left cheek, her thumb brushing at the skin beneath his left eye. He nodded.

"Do I get a treat for it?"

"You really are a dog," she giggled and kissed his forehead, leaving his lap. He whimpered and whined like a puppy and she rolled her eyes at him.

* * *

Christmas rolled around but there was no large celebration this time. Aurora spent it with Sirius, Remus, Pippa, Lily, James, Holly, Nicola, Italia, Harry, and Annalisa. Lily, Pippa, and Aurora were busy in the kitchen that morning, making breakfast. The men were just starting to come downstairs, their noses twitching with the familiar and delicious smell of breakfast.

Holly and Nicola both poured over thick books for school, parchment and quills out. The kitchen wasn't a quiet one that morning; the bacon and sausage were sizzling in the pans, toast was popping out of the toaster, plates and silver wear were clattering about, Annalisa and Harry giggled and rolled around with each other on the tiled kitchen floor as Italia watched them carefully, the women chattered, and quills were scratching against paper.

Sirius, James, and Remus all plopped down in the chairs at the table, Sirius sitting at the head of it. Soon, breakfast was done and served and silence filled the room except for the clinks of metal against porcelain and the cooing from the two new mothers at the table as they fed Annalisa and Harry. Finally, after Sirius, Remus, and James cleaned up, they all sat in the living room, surrounding the tall, fat Christmas tree that Sirius, James, and Remus had cut down.

Holly was overjoyed at finally receiving her own broom from Aurora and Sirius; she had become Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team earlier that year and she was ecstatic to tell Aurora in a long letter. She had been borrowing a broom from the school for the time being. She had also gotten a box of sweets from Pippa, a male kitten from James and Lily (which she named BoBo immediately), a Sneak-O-Scope from Remus, a copy of _The Best Book of Jinxes and Hexes_ by Roland Boberniks from Nicole and Italia, a pair of wooly socks from Dumbledore (which she looked at quizzically before looking at Aurora, who shrugged and laughed), and a furry cap from Hagrid.

Nicola got a long, fur coat from Aurora and Sirius, a book of new spells from Lily and James, a crystal vase from Pippa, a gold watch with the Hufflepuff Badger in the center of it from Holly and Italia, a Sneak-O-Scope from Remus, a furry purse from Hagrid, and a woolly cap, with the same Badger from the watch on the rim of it, from Dumbledore.

Italia got a beautiful pink leather coat from Aurora and Sirius, a pretty floral shirt from Lily and James, a matching pink leather purse from Pippa and Remus, a gold chain necklace from Holly, a golden charm for the necklace from Nicola, a small, brown, leather bound diary from Dumbledore, and a charm bracelet from Hagrid (that he obviously made himself but nonetheless, she slipped it onto her wrist with a large grin). All three girls got ornaments from Molly and Arthur, and dolls from Andromeda and Ted. Annalisa got a Baby's First Christmas ornament from Lily and James and Harry received the same from Aurora and Sirius. Both babies received baby clothes and toys from everyone.

Aurora had gotten Sirius the flying motorcycle he had been ogling at for months whenever they went to Diagon Alley. He had gone outside to see it and nearly passed out in shock before he grabbed Aurora and swung her around in the snow covered front yard. He had given her a silver charm bracelet and everyone had chipped in and gotten a different charm for it. James had done the same for Lily and Remus the same for his sister, Pippa. James took a picture of the three women holding their right arms up, showing off the new charm bracelets, all of them grinning from ear-to-ear.

Aurora had gotten James and Remus a new pair of robes. James had received a new broom from Lily and a box-of-tricks from Pippa and Remus. As the day went on, the kids went upstairs to play or study and the guys went into the kitchen to drink coffee and talk about Order business. Aurora, Lily, and Pippa were cleaning the living room up when a sharp couple of knocks came from the front door. Aurora went to it and peeped out the peep hole. She smiled and began to open the door but had it shoved back closed by Sirius. She looked at him in complete confusion.

"Sirius! It's Dumbledore!"

"It is I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore; creator of the Order of the Phoenix. I also discovered the 12 uses of dragon's blood and studied with Nicholas Flamel. I have my very own chocolate frog cards and I defeated the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945. Oh, and I don't care for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans." The old voice spoke from the other side of the door. Sirius seemed satisfied because he opened the door and grinned sheepishly at him.

"Sorry, Albus…Just a precaution," he said but Dumbledore smiled as he stepped over the threshold.

"It is alright, Sirius. It is good that you're taking precautions." Aurora flushed and glared at Sirius before smiling at Albus.

"What brings you here, Professor?" she asked, gazing up at him.

He smiled at her kindly. "May I have some tea? I'm quite thirsty," he explained and Aurora nodded and went to go to the kitchen but saw that Lily had beaten her there. Sirius and Aurora led him into the kitchen and they all sat down as Lily gave them all tea. They sipped at their tea and listened to Dumbledore and the plans for the Order. There was another battle coming soon but Dumbledore didn't know when or where. He also told them of some more casualties; Gary Thomas had been killed two days before and three Muggle families had been killed the day before. Everyone was shocked to hear about Gary.

Gary had been a very charismatic and confident man. He was tall and dark skinned with a bit of an afro, like Kingsley's but not as large. He had married a young Muggle woman a while ago and had just had a son earlier in the year. Dumbledore explained that Gary had sensed the Death Eaters on his street and left his family in the middle of the night. He had fought five Death Eaters by himself and had taken two with him. Dumbledore said that the Death Eaters who attacked him were Travers, Rodolphus and Rabastan, Kovachev, and Grant. Gary had taken down Kovachev, a Bulgarian Pure-blood, and Grant, a Scottish Pure-blood. They made a toast to Gary and then swallowed the rest of their tea.

The younger girls came into the room and Holly and Nicola beamed at Dumbledore; they had always liked him. Italia climbed into his lap immediately and began to braid his beard. Everyone laughed and then Aurora and Lily went upstairs to bring down Harry and Annalisa. Dumbledore took turns holding each of the babies and was quite happy to see them all living normal lives, or, as he put it, 'as normal of lives you can possibly have'. Sirius and James took the babies back up to their cribs as Pippa and Remus went to finish cleaning the living room.

Dumbledore turned to Aurora and smiled at her as he took one of her hands in both of his. He placed something cool and metal in her hand and she looked down when he pulled his old, wrinkled hands away. A beautiful rose gold necklace laid in her hand, a carved Sickle-sized locket attached to it. She looked up at him, her brows furrowed.

"Your mother told me to give it to you in case he came after her. It was her mother's and her grandmother's before her. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get it to you; I had kept it somewhere very safe and I forgot the password," he explained, his eyes twinkling.

Aurora gazed back down at the locket and opened it slowly. Inside, on the left door panel, was a picture of her and her mother when she was seven years old. They were both laughing and waving, a beach behind them. Tears sprang into her eyes and she sniffed, impatiently wiping the tears away as she felt Lily gently pat her back.

* * *

Thanks to eloquent-dreams and AJ for the reviews! I hope you all like this chapter. Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	35. Dumbledore's Unexpected Gift

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

New Year's came and went and Aurora could hardly believe that it was 1981 already. It was March now and she was grading essays from her students. She had come back to Hogwarts but this time she was the teacher of Psychology of the Magical Mind. She had been trying to stay very busy since she arrived otherwise she'd sorely miss her husband. They wrote each other daily, Aurora keeping him updated on their baby girl and Holly and Nicola and he keeping her updated on Italia. Pippa had taken to babysitting the young girl now because Sirius was finding it very difficult to take care of a 6 year old girl when he was constantly out battling Death Eaters.

Dumbledore had become their Secret Keeper and Pippa had to Disapparate right onto the doorstep to avoid being seen by Death Eaters who had been patrolling Rowena Walk. One thing that Aurora hadn't told anyone yet was that she suspected that she was pregnant again. Her stomach had been growing a bit over the last few months and she was eating like mad again, having odd cravings at all hours of the day not to mention the terrible sick feeling she had.

Holly and Nicola were excited to have Aurora there even though neither girl had her as a teacher yet; she taught fifth years and older. At the moment she was waiting for the last sixth year student of the day to come in for a career advisement session. She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching her. She smiled up at Jonah Abbott as the shy blonde Hufflepuff girl came to stand in front of Aurora's desk.

"Please have a seat, Jonah," Aurora motioned to the chair in front of her desk and Jonah sat down a bit awkwardly. Aurora smiled at her again and straightened up a bit. "So…You want to start working in the Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes."

"Alright…" Aurora reached over and grabbed a black career pamphlet that had dark blue letters upon the front, reading _So You Want To Become An Unspeakable? _She handed it to Jonah and Jonah opened it, looking down at the brochure's informative paragraphs. "You'll need to get an Outstanding on your N.E.W.T. for this subject."

"Ok…Professor, is it hard to be an Unspeakable?"

"Hard?" Aurora asked rhetorically and Jonah nodded, looking curious. "You just need to be well managed in Occlumency and you must be quite good at keeping secrets. Hard…I wouldn't say hard. Dangerous, yes, it is dangerous. But there's no need to fret! You've been doing quite well in our Occlumency and Legilimency sessions in class. Just keep practicing and you'll do fine. I think you've got it in you, Miss Abbott." Aurora beamed at the girl and Jonah blushed modestly, her eyes glittering happily.

"Is that all, Professor?"

"Hmmm…I believe so. Just keep practicing your lessons from this class. For anymore information, you'll have to go to the Ministry itself for I don't know what branches of Unspeakable there are; I just know that they have many. Just ask the clerk at the Atrium and they should give you another brochure with all of the branches and the information on them. Then, after you graduate, I imagine that you'll go through some more training for the field you choose."

"Ok. Thank you, Professor Black!"

"You're welcome; Good evening, Miss Abbott." And Aurora waved to her as the young girl dashed out of the room, calling after her friends. Aurora sighed softly and went back to grading paperwork. Only fifteen minutes later, she heard soft footsteps approaching her desk. She looked up and smiled at Professor Dumbledore, who smiled warmly back.

"Professor Dumbledore, what brings you to my classroom this afternoon?"

"I have something for you, Aurora," he answered as he sat down across from her. Aurora kept smiling, looking at him in slight bemusement. "This," he said as he pulled a pretty large vial out of his robes. A silvery matter, not liquid or gas, swirled about inside of the vial and Aurora knew what it was. 'Memories.'

"Memories? Whose?"

"Your mother's." Aurora's eyes shot to his instantly.

"My mother's? What do you mean?"

"I have been trying to slowly extract your mother's memories from her for some time now so you would be able to see them. I finally managed it. It will help you better understand your uncle."

Aurora scowled but took the vial. "Thank you, Dumbledore…" she said quietly to his back as he walked out of the classroom. She looked at the vial for a long while before she stole herself away to her office. The vial was the exact length of her hand from finger tip to the bottom of her palm. She hurried up the stairs and closed the door behind her and locked it. She placed the vial on the desk there and the searched the room for a big enough bowl. She finally found on in a cupboard and she carefully emptied the vial's contents into the head-sized bowl. Slowly, hesitantly, she dipped her head forward. As soon as her nose was close enough to the silvery threads, she was pulled into her mother's memories.

* * *

Thanks to eloquent-dreams (again! yay!) and sands' gal for the reviews! Ok, I know this chapter is short and since I don't really care for the way this chapter ended, I'm going to post the next chapter too. The next chapter is a lot darker. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	36. Her Mother's Memories

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

OOOO Just to warn you, this chapter is a bit darker then the other chapters. No blood or gore. BTW, Alicia is pronounced: A-lE-c-a. OOOO

Falling, falling until finally Aurora landed. She was standing inside of a shabby little room. She looked around curiously. The walls were blank, completely bare of anything with the exception of a small painting of an oak tree on the left side of the room.

As Aurora gazed around, she did a double take at the girl who sat on the bed that was pushed up against the right wall. She was holding a book and was reading and Aurora could have sworn it was herself but she began to notice the differences. Slight as they were, they were still there. Long wavy soft brown hair hung around the girl's shoulders and her eyes were grayish blue, not light blue. She had a fair complexion, a thin, straight nose, and had thinner lips than Aurora but not by much. She had thick lashes and perfect eye brows. Aurora could tell that she was already slender and petite, even at such a young age.

Aurora fought her tears as she gazed at her very young mother. She turned when the door opened and in walked a tall, auburn haired man with a long beard. Aurora blinked and almost laughed when she realized that it was Dumbledore. She watched as Alicia sized him up, her eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity. The woman that had led Dumbledore in spoke a bit nervously.

"Alicia, this man is here to see you. Do you wish to be alone?" Aurora could tell by her tone of voice that she thought Dumbledore might try to hurt Alicia in some way but Alicia nodded and swung her legs off of the bed and let them drape over the side of it. Her hands were on either side of her hips, pushing her shoulders up. She waited till the woman had left the room and the door was closed before she spoke to him.

"I know why you're here," she whispered softly and Aurora was slightly taken aback at hearing such a young voice come from her mother.

"Do you, Alicia?" Dumbledore asked as he remained standing, his hands clasped in front of him.

"You're here to take Tom away…"

"Just Tom?"

"Don't take me; please…I don't want to go with Tom…" she pleaded and Aurora was surprised to hear that her mother was terrified of her twin even at that age. "He does terrible…terrible things to everyone here. He's tried to get me to help him but I can't. He bullies me too."

"But Alicia, you have an amazing talent. Why waste it?" There was a long, pregnant pause and then Alicia spoke again.

"What am I?"

"You are a witch."

"A witch?"

"Yes. Your mother was a pure-blooded witch," Dumbledore explained.

"You knew my mother?" she asked, perking up a bit. Dumbledore nodded slightly

"I didn't know her personally, but I knew her family."

"Who was my father? I mean, I know his name, but was he a…um…"

"Wizard? No."

"Oh…So…the reason I can do this," she said as she hovered a hand over her book and made the pages turn as if there was a breeze in the room, "is because I am a witch? Because of my mother?"

"Yes." Dumbledore was smiling at her and Alicia looked up at him again, smiling slightly too. It was in that moment that Aurora knew that Alicia idolized her mother.

"So, I'm just like my mother?"

"In ways, yes."

"And Tom…he's a wizard?"

"Yes, your brother is a wizard."

"Wow…So…what happens now?"

"Well, you could come with me, and your brother, and be taught how to harness and use your power, your gift, at a school."

"What's the name?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; but there are many others in different countries."

"Do Tom and I have to go to the same school?" she asked a bit hopefully.

"No, but wouldn't you rather have someone there that you knew?"

"I like meeting new people." Aurora could tell that Alicia was working as hard as she could to get away from her fraternal twin brother. Dumbledore frowned and slowly approached the young Alicia. He gently sat down next to her and gazed at her a bit worriedly.

"What is wrong, Alicia?"

Alicia fidgeted and looked away before answering. "He's mean."

"Most brothers can be towards their sister---"

"No, I mean, he's _mean_," and this time she put great emphasis on the word. "He's cruel. He likes to hurt people. He's tortured them before; the younger ones. He's taken them away from the adults and hurt them, terrified them…He's hurt me too…" As she whispered the last part, she lifted her left hand and uncurled it, showing Dumbledore the deep scar on her palm. "He burned me without fire, without a hot object. He burned me with his hands; his o_wn_ hands."

Dumbledore frowned and gently took her hand, running a long finger over the scarred flesh. Alicia watched as tears stung her eyes.

Then the room was spinning and changing. Aurora was at Diagon Alley on a warm, sunny day in late July. She looked around and saw Dumbledore and Tom with Alicia. Alicia was looking at the owls, a beautiful white one catching her eye in particular. Aurora recognized the owl as Isis, the old owl she now owned.

"Oh, Dumbledore! Can't I get this one? She's so beautiful!" Alicia had exclaimed to the older gentlemen. He beamed at her but shook his head. She looked a bit disappointed but turned back to the owl, gently petting her head. Isis looked at her and chirped sweetly, affectionately nibbling on Alicia's finger tips. Alicia giggled and leaned forward a bit. "Don't worry, Isis, we'll be together someday." She walked away when Dumbledore beckoned her and Aurora saw that scowl on Tom's young, very human face.

"An owl? Why would you want an owl, Alicia?"

"Because she's pretty and very sweet."

"So what? It's worthless." Alicia frowned at her brother and stuck her tongue out at him as the three continued down the cobblestone road. Gringotts came into view and Tom nearly stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening. "Wow…"

"What's that place, Professor?" Alicia asked as she and Tom stopped.

"That is Gringotts Wizarding Bank," Dumbledore answered.

"Even wizards and witches have banks?" Alicia asked and Tom rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Of course they would, you idiot!" Tom snapped and Alicia pouted at her brother but he ignored her.

The scenery began to spin again and it changed into Hogwarts. Aurora stood in the midst of a bunch of first year students. She looked down and around her and spotted Tom standing alone off to the side and Alicia was quietly giggling with a small group of girls. Aurora looked to the front and saw a stout witch with flyaway grey hair and large glasses on a cheery face; she looked like a very disheveled Mrs. Claus. She was Professor Galatea Merrythought, the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She was standing with a large roll of parchment. The Sorting Hat, as shabby and worn out as ever, sat upon a stool before her. She began calling names and Aurora vaguely took notice of them until Rupert Lupin was called. She looked at young Rupert and giggled softly.

He was a cute little boy with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes; it was now that Aurora saw how much Remus really did look like Rupert. He sat on the stool and sat there for a few seconds after the Sorting Hat was placed upon his head. The Great Hall was silent until the Hat shouted out "GRYFFINDOR!" Then the room erupted in applause and the young Rupert Lupin made his way through the thinning crowd of first years to the Gryffindor House table.

The list continued and then Merrythought called out "Riddle, Alicia." The hall became silent once again and Aurora watched her young mother slowly make her way to the stool. She sat down and gazed around the room, a pink blush covering her cheeks. Merrythought placed the Hat upon her head and Aurora thought it took forever to sort her mother. She could hear what it was saying to Alicia.

"Hmmmm…clever and ambitious; yet very intelligent and brave; you would fit in anywhere, little one. Not Slytherin though; no, you're heart is too pure." Aurora beamed and she noticed that Alicia even became a bit more relaxed. "Too unyielding to be a Hufflepuff and too clever to be in Gryffindor…RAVENCLAW!" Alicia jumped a bit but beamed as the entire room applauded her. She hopped off of the stool and turned to see Dumbledore smiling and clapping for her. She grinned back and then headed to the Ravenclaw House table. Aurora watched as she settled down and the hall became quiet once again.

"Riddle, Thomas," Professor Merrythought called out and Tom approached the stool in a determined stride. He sat and Merrythought put the Hat upon his head. Within five seconds it had called out "SLYTHERIN!" and the room applauded again. Aurora glanced over to Alicia in time to see her visibly relax before the room swirled and changed again.

She was still at Hogwarts but it was day time, lunch to be exact. The Great Hall was filled with students who sat, ate and chatted with each other. Aurora saw Tom with a growing group of Slytherins and she wondered if he was already planning his rise to evil. Aurora went to the Ravenclaw table and saw Alicia laughing and talking with many girls. It seemed that her mother had always been quite friendly and sweet to everyone. Aurora looked up when the owls began to fly in and Aurora felt a cold breeze drift in. A snowy white owl landed on Alicia's shoulder and then hopped off onto the table in front of the eleven year older girl, who blinked at the owl in curiosity and bemusement.

Alicia took the letter from its legs and tore it open at the request of the other girls surrounding her. Alicia unfolded the letter and read aloud.

"Dear Alicia, I know this present is late, but happy twelfth birthday. Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore and the Hogwarts Staff."

Alicia squealed happily and knew that it was the very owl that had caught her eye in Diagon Alley in July. Alicia looked up and waved to the teachers who all smiled and waved back at her. Alicia stood and the owl climbed onto her offered arm. She walked out of the Great Hall, not noticing the nasty glare that her brother followed her with. The room shifted yet again and suddenly Aurora was standing on a stair case. She saw her mother a few steps above her, Alicia's eyes strained suspiciously on someone above her.

It was night again. Aurora walked up a couple of steps, following her now sixteen year old mother's line of sight; she was gazing up at Tom Riddle, Albus Dumbledore, Armando Dippet (the current head master of Hogwarts), and a small group of Ministry officials, who were interviewing Armando and Albus. As Aurora watched, she became suddenly horrified; a couple of wizards were moving a dead body of a young girl from one of the girls' bathrooms. Aurora looked at her mother when the wizards moved the body passed them; Alicia looked completely mortified and soon, her accusing eyes were on Tom.

Tom asked Dumbledore something but Aurora followed Alicia as she descended the steps and crept into an abandoned classroom. Aurora waited as Alicia kept an eye out on the hall way. As soon as Tom began to pass the abandoned classroom, completely alone, Alicia reached out, fisted a hand in the front of her brother's Slytherin robes, and, with a hard yank, pulled him into the room with her. She looked furious and mortified as Tom brushed his robes off and then glared at his sister.

"Do not handle me like---"

"Shut up! _Shut up!_ I know you did it! You killed that poor girl, Tom!" she hissed as her eyes filled with frustrated and sympathetic tears. Tom looked at her blankly.

"And?"

"And?! Tom, you…you_ killed_ her. _Killed_, Tom! You didn't bully her or abuse her…you _killed _her! You took her life!"

"She was Muggle-born; what does it matter?" he snapped and then regained his composure. "Besides…it wasn't really me; it was the Basilisk," he added with so much arrogance and pride that Aurora really wished she could have punched him. Alicia had a look of utter disbelief and horror upon her face. She took a step back from him, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

"You don't even care? You killed a young girl and you don't…you don't even feel a single pang of regret, of remorse?"

"No."

"I know…I know your other secret, Tom," Alicia spoke in barely a whisper and Tom looked at her with a blank expression. "You're making Horcruxes! You killed our father and his parents; you made Morfin take the blame for it. You're…you're splitting your soul, Tom. Stop now; feel some remorse and put your soul back together. I'm sure it won't be too late…" she gasped sharply when her brother wrapped a hand around her neck and shoved her up against the wall behind her hard, his face mere inches from her own.

"Don't you _dare_ speak a word to anyone about any of this…" he hissed, his eyes burning with a deep hatred. Alicia didn't dare to breathe, her eyes wide as she remained quiet and still. He released her and strode out of the room quickly.

"You are no brother of mine, Thomas Marvolo Riddle," she whispered after him, her tears streaming down her cheeks now. Alicia broke down and sobbed as the room began to spin and change again.

Aurora and Alicia stood in the Headmaster's office, in front of the desk there. Armando Dippet sat behind the desk and Dumbledore stood to his right side.

"Why are you here, Miss Riddle?" Armando asked in his rough voice. Alicia looked very nervous as she stood there, fidgeting with her blue and silver Ravenclaw scarf.

"Professor…I think you expelled the wrong student," she said softly and Armando looked at her in confusion.

"Are you trying to admit something, Miss Riddle?"

"She is not turning herself in, Armando; but she knows who really opened the Chamber of Secrets…" Dumbledore spoke kindly to the Headmaster, who gazed over at him.

"And?"

"And…the person who should be expelled is my twin brother, Thomas Riddle. Not Rubeus Hagrid; Hagrid is innocent!"

"Tom? Are you joking, young lady? Your brother would do no such thing! Not to mention the fact that Hagrid had been keeping a secret pet Acromantula in his dorm room!"

"Tom would!" she protested and Armando became angry. He stood up and glared down at her but she refused to back down. "He's evil, Professor Dippet! He's done things to people that you don't know about! He did this to me!" She jerked her left hand out in front of her, her flingers spread open to show him the six year old scar. He glanced at it and then straightened up, his arms crossing over his chest.

"I don't appreciate you telling me stories, Miss Riddle."

"Professor, I believe her. Tom is…different from the other students; even from his fellow Slytherin classmates," Dumbledore spoke up and Armando shook his head in disbelief.

"Tom is different, Albus, because he's _better_. He's the smartest pupil to ever come to Hogwarts since you!"

"Alicia is just as intelligent and gifted as Tom."

"Oh yes, Alicia is quite gifted but Tom…Tom is special."

"Special!? Yeah, he's as special as a damn Basilisk!" Alicia snapped, her eyes glaring at the Headmaster. Dumbledore looked at her in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"He might be a powerful young wizard, Professor, but he isn't human! He lacks human affection and compassion! He lacks a_ conscience_!" Aurora wanted to cover Alicia's mouth to stop her from getting expelled like poor Hagrid but she knew she couldn't; instead she just watched on in horror.

"That's enough! Detention, Miss Riddle! Detention for five nights and a hundred points from Ravenclaw!" Armando snapped and Alicia gaped at him before saying the last word.

"Fine; be an idiot," she snapped coldly and then turned on her heel, walking out of the Headmaster's office and down the spiral staircase; Dippet called after her, saying "A hundred more points from Ravenclaw!" Then the scenery changed again.

Aurora stood in a busy, crowded stone street. Alicia was gazing down at a collection of beautiful Italian jewelry, every once in a while she would glance up and blush, looking away quickly. Aurora looked up at what she was glancing at and saw a very young, very handsome Aberto Badeau. Aurora felt her breath hitch in her throat as she watched her father approach her mother with a huge air of confidence, his most charming smile plastered on his face. When he reached Alicia, he began speaking Italian and Alicia looked up at him, blushing and confused.

"What? I don't speak Italian…Sorry…" Aberto nodded and thought for a minute before speaking in a rough Italian accent.

"Do you…eh…live here?"

"No…No, just visiting."

"Where you from?"

"England."

"Ah…An English girl." His grin grew and he turned slightly when his father, Massimo, called to him. Aurora felt a pang of longing when she saw her handsome grandfather. Aberto called back to him in Italian and then turned to Alicia again. "So, you have a…eh…tour guide?"

"Tour guide?" Aberto nodded. "No; no, tour guide."

"Oh well, you will get lost without a tour guide. I shall guide you," he offered and Alicia blushed but nodded. He came around the booth and offered her his hand. As soon as Alicia took it, the scene changed and Aurora was standing at the front of a church. She saw the room filled with Alicia's friends and Aberto's family and friends. Then, she looked over and saw her mother. She was a vision in pure white and Aberto looked quite dashing in a black tux. They said their 'I dos' and then the scene changed again. Alfred's and Timothy's birth, their toddler years, then Aurora's birth and her toddler years; she was watching herself grow up now from an outsider's point of view; all of the scrapes, falls, bruises; all of the tears and the laughs.

She saw Holly's birth and then Nicola's, then Italia's; then, through their toddler years. She was reminded of the fierce love and protection that her mother had always had for her children and the undying passionate love for her father. Aurora cried as she watched all of this and then, the scene changed to a much darker one.

Voldemort stood above Alicia, his wand pointed at her as she writhed in agony upon the wood floor of the villa in Italy. Alicia was screaming in pain as Aberto watched, helpless to do anything. Aurora wanted out suddenly but for some reason, could not take her eyes away from the scene. Voldemort stopped torturing Alicia and he paced around her as she rolled onto her side, her light grey-blue eyes meeting Aberto's. Aberto whimpered softly against the gag in his mouth, his dark blue eyes filled with tears at the sight of his wife being tortured. Aurora was sobbing now as she watched; she almost jumped when Voldemort spoke.

"You know, Alicia…Your son, Alfred, has joined me. He alone has seen reason," he hissed out and Alicia looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears too.

She said nothing but instead spat at him and Voldemort smirked coldly.

"Such hostility, sister…"

"Do you expect me to welcome you into my home with open arms?" she snapped hoarsely.

"If you had joined me, all would have been forgiven…"

"All would have been forgiven? Like what, Tom!? What did you need to forgive me for!? You're the one killing and torturing my friends!"

"Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw? I need to be forgiven for being sorted into Ravenclaw? Are you kidding me?!"

"_Crucio_!" And she was screaming again.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Aurora screamed but no one heard her as she slid down the wall next to her father, sobbing. She watched as Alicia stopped moving and screaming, the only sound from her being her heavy breathing. She rolled back over to look at her husband and mouthed the words 'I love you' to him. Aurora cried harder when she saw her father nod, his beautiful eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Voldemort spoke again. "I won't kill you, Alicia…There's a belief that twins share a part of each other's souls. Therefore, I will need you to stay alive; but if you still refuse to help me in my quest for the greater good, I will torture you into insanity. I will begin with your husband. Do you still object to my cause?"

Alicia looked at her husband, both of them were crying now, and she mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' to Aberto who nodded in understanding. Alicia kept her gaze locked with her husband's as she answered Voldemort. "I will not help you in anyway, Thomas."

Aurora screamed as Voldemort pointed his wand at Aberto, whose eyes bulged in fear and panic. Alicia cried out, throwing herself against Voldemort's legs weakly. He barely budged. "Watch, my sister, as I kill your husband…" he hissed out as Alicia looked at her husband, who looked back at her, and before Alicia could even scream again, Voldemort bellowed "_Avada Kedavra_!"

A flash of green light, a rushing sound, a scream, and a thud upon the hard tiled floor; Aurora clasped her hands over her mouth as she saw her father's lifeless body staring up at her from the floor; her scream was muffled against her palm. Tears flowed freely from her face as she looked over at her stunned mother. Alicia sobbed quietly as she gazed upon the lifeless form that once was her husband. Voldemort turned his attention to his sister again but she paid no attention to him, her eyes strained on her husband's face.

"Join me now, and your children will be spared," he hissed out and finally Alicia turned her head to look at him.

"Never," she said simply, without fear or anger. Voldemort's eyes narrowed to slits and he placed his hands on either side of her head forcing terrible images of all of her children and grandchildren and the rest of her family and friends being tortured and killed because of her. He finished after about ten minutes of intense pain and agony. He released her head and Alicia fell back to the floor. She was muttering under her breath, her eyes glassy and glazed over. And Aurora cried as she stumbled away from the bowl with her mother's memories.

She collapsed into her chair in front of the desk, both hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut as she sobbed. She curled up in the chair and just let everything go; all of the grief she had been holding in for so long, all of the sadness and longing. She cried for her mother and her father, her brother Tim and his family, her grandparents; she cried for Edgar Bones and his family, Dorcas Meadowes, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Benjy Fenwick, Caradoc Dearborn, and Regulus Black. She cried for anyone who had ever been tortured or killed or had lost someone to Voldemort, including Holly and Nicola. But most of all, she cried for Italia, who would never really know her parents.

* * *

I hope you like this darker chapter. Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	37. More Pregnancies and a New Plan

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

June came quickly and Aurora knew that she was pregnant for a second time. She had been hiding it very well but she had a feeling that Minerva, Pomona, Madam Pomfrey, and Madam Hooch had all noticed. No matter; she was off towards home now. She wore a cheery smile as she walked from Hogwarts and into Hogsmeade. The students had gone home already for the summer and most of the teachers were heading away for some vacation time. Aurora had her luggage floating up behind her, Annalisa tucked against her carefully. The baby girl was nearly a year old and Aurora knew that Sirius would be completely overjoyed to see the both of them.

He was working at the moment so Pippa had come to take them home. James and Lily had gone into Hiding about two months before so they weren't permitted to leave their home. Pippa called out to Aurora and the both of them squealed and hobbled to each other. They embraced carefully and Aurora gave Pippa a very curious and concerned look.

"What's this?" Aurora asked as she reached out and touched a hand to Pippa's growing belly. Pippa flushed darkly and shooed her hand away.

"I'm pregnant…" Pippa whispered and Aurora gave her an 'I've already discerned that' look.

"Obviously…Whose the father?"

"You promise you won't tell anyone?" Pippa looked frightened as she looked around them; no one was around.

"I promise…Though, how people won't find out for themselves…" Aurora's voice trailed off.

"Severus."

"Sev…." Aurora looked shocked, her jaw dropping and her eyes bulging. "Are you _serious_!? How? When?"

"Well…It was about seven months ago…I was patrolling Dia Mond alone one night and I saw him there. We got into a brief altercation that led to…_other_ things…"

"Oh Pippa…Does he know?"

"No…I can't tell him, Aurora. He'd deny it."

"Of course he would! Not only would you be the mother; the child would be part Muggle-born and that's unacceptable to Voldemort's terms!"

"He's in love with Lily still…" Pippa whispered, tears in her eyes and Aurora suddenly felt the weight of the whole situation. She frowned sadly and hugged Pippa carefully again, making Annalisa giggle and sneeze as Pippa's blouse tickled her nose.

"Oh Pippie…This is terrible. I'm so sorry…If you need any help whatsoever, I'm here for you," Aurora said as she stroked the younger woman's dirty blonde hair that was now streaked with bright blue. Pippa nodded, sniffling as she wiped at her eyes.

"Well, we need to get going. Sirius will be home soon and he'll rip my head off of my shoulders if you're not there before he is." Pippa gently grasped Aurora's wrist and grabbed some of Aurora's things before they Disapparated and then Apparated onto the front porch of the house. Aurora sighed heavily.

"Feels good to be home," she said as she stepped into the house and, with Holly's and Nicola's help, got her things upstairs; the two girls had insisted on traveling home via the train because they wanted to see their friends off. The group of girls all sat down and Annalisa played with her toys on the carpeted floor right next to the kitchen door, which was opened wide so Aurora could keep an eye on her.

"You're getting big, Sissy," Italia stated when she finally came downstairs to sit with them all at the kitchen table.

"Yeah…You haven't told Sirius yet, have you?" she asked around and everyone shook their heads in the negative. Aurora smiled and was about to thank them when the front door opened and a whoop of excitement echoed throughout the house. Sirius jogged over to his baby and lifted her up into the air, making the eleven month old squeal in delight and giggle happily. He kissed her nose and placed her on the floor again before he went to the standing Aurora and hugged her.

He pulled back slightly, looking curious and Aurora pulled her jacket from her shoulders. He blinked and gave another whoop of happiness as he gently touched her belly. "Again?" his eyes roamed to hers as she nodded and smiled at him. He grinned crookedly and stooped down, kissing her belly. "You'll be here soon…I hope you're a boy," he whispered and then straightened up, kissing Aurora lovingly and passionately. Italia made an uncomfortable sound and Pippa, Holly, and Nicola laughed at her.

* * *

"How have you kept this pregnancy a secret from Sirius?" Aurora asked Pippa one day when Sirius was away. Pippa shrugged half-heartedly.

"When I'm here, he's not. It wasn't hard. I just had to make Italia promise not to tell; she'll make a fantastic Secret Keeper for someone." Aurora and Pippa smiled as they turned slightly to watch the six year old play with Annalisa. "So…Have you two picked out names yet?"

"Mmhmm…Conri Carmine Black, if it's a boy, or Maria Enya Black if it's a girl," Aurora answered with a smile and Pippa looked thoughtful.

"I like both…But Conri Carmine?"

Aurora laughed. "Sirius' idea; well the middle name anyway. He said I could pick the first name."

"Hmmm…Maria Enya is cute." Pippa said and then became quiet.

"What about you? Have you picked out names yet?"

"Rupert Remus Lupin if it's a boy or Lauren Rebecca Lupin if it's a girl."

Aurora nodded and was suddenly very thoughtful; she had not even thought to name her children after her parents. It struck her as odd, considering, but at the same time, she was not ashamed. She was sure that her grandchildren would bare those names and she smiled softly at the thought of grandchildren.

* * *

"Aurora?" Pippa asked an hour later when she entered the living room where Aurora sat, watching the telly. Aurora didn't look up, too engrossed with the news about a Muggle family being found dead in their home; no injuries, no wounds of any kind, just a mask of terror permanently plastered on their faces. "Can you do me a huge favor?" Pippa asked a bit timidly, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Sure…" Aurora replied, though Pippa wasn't completely sure Aurora had heard her.

"Well…I was wondering if you and Sirius would pass off my child as your own…" Aurora blinked, her trance broken as she turned to Pippa with a delicately raised eye brow.

"You want us to what?"

"Oh Aurora, please? Severus can't ever know that I had a baby; he'll know it's his! Voldemort would go after my baby---"

"Voldemort would go after that baby regardless."

"I know, but he'd be safer with you."

"He? It's a boy?"

"Yeah…Yeah, I've known for a while…"

"You never let on…"

"I'm sorry."

"Passing your son off as our own will be difficult, Pippie…What if he looks like you or Remus or Rupert?"

"Say that, by some extension, you're related to the Lupin's or that he looks like your grandfather. Didn't your grandfather have dirty blonde hair?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Aurora, please! I'm begging you! Please, please pass this boy off as your son!"

"Pippa…" Aurora sighed heavily and then continued. "What if he doesn't look like you or Remus or Rupert? What if he looks like Severus?"

"Well…say that he took after Sirius' side of the family…"

"Sirius does not look like Severus."

"They have…_some_ similarities. Black hair, pale skin…"

"Yeah, that's about it, Pip. Severus has a hooked nose, dark eyes, thinner lips, a scrawnier body…"

"How do you know so much about his anatomy?" Pippa asked, her eye brows rising.

"Pippa, when you're friends with the man for seven years, you tend to notice…Look, I'll talk to Sirius about it; we'll see if we can pull it off somehow. How far are you along?"

"Same as you."

"Pippa, that means you got pregnant before Christmas…"

"Yeah, so?"

"That means you were patrolling Dia Mond by yourself before Christmas…You could have been killed!"

"Severus wouldn't hurt or kill me, Aurora…He cares for me a bit."

"What if it wasn't Severus? What if it was Travers or Bellatrix, huh? Then what? You'd be dead, that's what!"

"But I'm not! I'm alive and well and pregnant!" Pippa snapped and then gasped as she looked up at the front door. Aurora turned on the sofa, craning her neck around to see Sirius staring wide-eyed at Pippa.

"Sirius!" Aurora called and he looked at her, pointing at Pippa.

"She's pregnant too?"

"Well…a bit…"Aurora conceded and Pippa squeaked as she sat beside Aurora.

"A bit? She's huge!" he exclaimed as he finally noticed her large belly.

"Hey!" Pippa snapped and Sirius flinched, ducking a pillow.

"Stop it! No throwing my pillows around! And Sirius, that was rude. You don't go saying that about women…" Aurora scolded them both and they both looked sheepish. "Well, let's get this over with. Sirius, sit down please."

Sirius did as she said, slowly making his way around the sofa to sit on their left in his recliner. "What's going on?"

"We are going to need to try to pass Pippa's son off as our own for a while…"

"Why? Wait…who's the father, anyway?"

"Uheh…um…Pippa, do you want to do the honors?" Aurora asked the blonde girl who paled and gulped.

"S-Sure…Uh…er…the baby...is Severus'…"

"WHAT!?"

"Sirius! Shut up! I just put Annalisa down and if she wakes up, I swear, you'll get a lap full of hot tea!" Aurora hissed out. He shot her a glare before looking back at Pippa.

"_Severus Snape's_ kid? As _my_ own? Are you off your rocker?!" he snapped and Pippa looked hurt, both her hands gently rubbing her belly.

"Sirius…watch your tone and what you say. This is an extremely delicate situation," Aurora warned and Sirius seemed to take heed. "Severus is in love with…someone else…I'm not permitted to say, so don't ask."

"Wait…so he _used_ you?" Sirius asked Pippa, who flushed and looked flustered.

"N-No! He wouldn't! Sirius, please…"

"He used you and you're still defending him?"

"It's what you do when you're in love…" Pippa and Aurora whispered together. Aurora placed a gentle hand on Pippa's belly, her eyes on Sirius.

"Sirius, we have to help her. This pregnancy needs to be a complete secret, even from Remus. Once her son is born, we'll say we had twins."

"How? What if her kid is born before or after ours?"

"We'll just have to…to…to have our baby here…both of the babies here."

"And who's going to take care of the kid?"

"I will!" Pippa sounded outraged as she glared at Sirius and Aurora gave him a reprimanding look. He rubbed his head and sighed heavily.

"Alright, alright…We'll pass your kid off as our own son. We'll say we had twins and that Aurora went into labor when we were asleep so I didn't hear her calling for me because I'm a heavy sleeper; we'll say that when I finally woke up, it was too late to get her to St. Mungo's or any other hospital…You'll have to move in too. We'll say we needed some extra help around the house because Aurora won't be able to do it and I'll be away a lot for work and the Order. Yeah…yeah…" His voice trailed off.

Aurora and Pippa sighed gratefully and both smiled at him. He didn't smile in return but stood up and left the room, heading through the kitchen to the back porch. Aurora patted Pippa's hand reassuringly but for some reason she couldn't reassure herself that this would work; Sirius might have conceded but it didn't mean he liked the idea. A cold stone seemed to settle in the pit of Aurora's stomach. This felt all wrong…all wrong.

* * *

Thanks to MilitaryMarauder, EmSyd, hpfan4ever, fearblank, and Toad321 for the adds and reviews! I'm so glad all of you are enjoying my story! Hopefully you like the sequel just as much. I hope everyone likes this chapter too. Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	38. Births and Deaths

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :) And now Conri Carmine Black is also (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

July went by fast and the birthdays for Neville, Harry, and Annalisa were held together at James' and Lily's house on July 31st. It was a small gathering; Dumbledore and Minerva came together with Hagrid tagging along; Mad-Eye and Kingsley were able to join them as well as Andromeda, Ted, Nymphadora, and 20 month old Aquila; Molly and Arthur brought their sons William, Charles, Percy, Fred and George, and one year old Ronald; and Remus and Peter were there. Pippa asked Aurora to make up a story for her and she had left the house for a few hours until the party was over. It was an adorable little get together, with one cake that was decorated in light yellow and light green to keep it neutral.

Aurora and Dumbledore had to speak again about her second pregnancy and she wasn't happy to hear that he thought she should take a few years off of work; she'd always have a position there but with another baby on the way and the potential for more babies in the future, Dumbledore thought it was best if she took time to actually raise her children with Sirius. Aurora had agreed reluctantly but when Sirius asked what was wrong, she denied that there was anything wrong. Aurora had noticed that Peter seemed a bit agitated, almost nervous around everyone.

Aurora was contemplating on using Legilimency against him unknowingly but decided against it; if she didn't need to use it, she wouldn't. It was a violation of the mind in Aurora's opinion and the only reason why she had learned it was because she took the Psychology of the Magical Mind in her fifth, sixth, and seventh years. Soon, August was in full swing and Nicola and Holly were excited to be going back to school, though their spirits were dampened a bit because Aurora wouldn't be going with them. It was the three weeks before the two girls were due for school when Aurora's water broke and she began to have contractions. Sirius had informed Dumbledore of their plan a while before so he came and brought with him Madam Pomfrey, who had been a mid-wife in the past.

By 10 pm on August 10th, 1981, Sirius and Aurora welcomed their second child and first son into the world. Sirius was overjoyed at having a son and he quickly got Annalisa to show her the baby boy that was her younger brother. Annalisa had fussed and began to cry at the site of the pink baby and Sirius had looked a bit defeated as he soothed her and then took her back to her crib to sleep. Aurora had laughed and soon she was cleaned up and holding her son, nursing him. Dumbledore and Sirius had stepped out of the room as Madam Pomfrey stayed with Aurora, cooing over the baby. After Aurora was finished with feeding her son, Sirius came back in with Dumbledore; Aurora shot Sirius a glare and he immediately looked sheepish.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"No more babies for a while, ok? Conri is only a year younger than Annalisa; I need a break," she answered and Sirius looked very relieved as he nodded and sat on the bed next to her, fluffing the pillows a bit for her. Dumbledore chuckled and said his good-byes before he left with Madam Pomfrey. Pippa crept into the room with Holly, Nicola, and Italia, all of them were smiling broadly.

Holly, Nicola, and Italia went to Aurora's left and Pippa stood at Sirius' side. Aurora looked at Nicola and smiled. "Would you like to hold Conri, Nicola?" Nicola nodded and carefully took the gurgling baby boy from her older sister's arms. She supported his head and looked down at the baby who was barely able to gaze up at her.

"He has your eyes, Sirius…Though, they're a bit lighter it seems," Holly whispered.

"He looks just like Sirius but Conri's smaller and pink," Italia corrected and Sirius looked proud. Pippa and Aurora giggled and Aurora patted Sirius' hand that rested on her shoulder. He kissed her temple and looked over at Pippa, grinning.

"You're turn," he teased and she paled a bit. Aurora knew that Pippa didn't like pain so she wasn't looking forward to the birthing pains.

"Don't worry, Pip; it hurts, yeah, but the aftermath is so worth it," Aurora reassured as she looked back down at her son in Nicola's arms.

Pippa gave birth to her son, Rupert Severus Badeau (really Lupin-Snape), on August 19th at 5 pm exactly. Aurora saw the similarities between Remus, Severus, and the baby boy immediately. Rupert had a mop of dirty blonde hair growing atop his head but dark eyes like Severus. It would take a while to see who he really took after, but Aurora had a feeling that he was going to have his father's nose and sallow skin.

For the next week and a half they had visitors coming through to see the new baby boys. Everyone commented about how much Conri would look like his father when he got older and each time, Sirius beamed with pride; they would also ask who Rupert took after and Aurora and Sirius told them all the same story, even Remus, Peter, James, and Lily; though Remus seemed suspicious, he never said anything about his suspicions. "My grandfather on my father's side; he had dark eyes and blondish hair." Aurora would say, feeling a bit guilty; true, her grandfather had been that way but she was lying about the baby being hers.

It wasn't long before James and Lily had caught on and confronted their three friends about it. Pippa had cried and refused to speak so Aurora had to tell them everything; the truth but of course she left out the part about Severus loving Lily; she didn't want a livid James in her house. All of this celebration was soon cut short, unfortunately.

On August 26th, when Sirius, Remus, Peter, Dumbledore and many other Order members were busy in Ireland, a terrible message was broadcasted across _KeepInOrder_, a news radio station for the Order and was secret to Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and his supporters. Aurora, Pippa, Molly, Holly, Nicola, and Italia all sat around the radio, listening intently to the broadcast. Aurora tuned the baby monitor down a bit so they could hear the news; Ron, Conri, Ginny, Rupert, and Annalisa slept in cribs upstairs and William, Charles, Percy, Fred and George sat at the women's feet with Italia, Nicola, and Holly.

"Things are getting a lot worse lately; three Muggle families were eradicated just the night before. The Farnham family, a 'blood traitor' family, were all killed two nights ago and the Hale family was also killed just earlier today…" A familiar voice said solemnly. Holly and Nicola cried together as Pippa and Molly hugged each other, also crying. Italia, Charles, Percy, Fred, and George didn't really understand what was going on so they just looked around the room at all of the women. Aurora sat completely still, her eyes glazed over in a shocked gaze, her lips parted and face pale. Her hands shook in her lap as tears slowly filled her eyes. William, Molly and Arthur's oldest son and child, gently patted her leg and Aurora glanced down at him briefly.

"Let's just take a moment of silence for those lost souls…what? Hold on a moment, folks…" there was muffled mumbling on the other end of the radio and all of the women and girls perked up a bit. Good news perhaps? A heavy sigh reached their ears. "More…terrible, terrible news…The McKinnon's were all killed about an hour ago."

Aurora broke; Marlene had been a friend and fellow Order member. She began to sob and shake; she barely felt Italia go to her and hug her, she barely felt any of them touch her. "Let's have a moment of silence for the Farnham's, the Hale's, the McKinnon's, and those Muggle families." A silence droned on, only disturbed by women's gasping and sobbing. Finally, after about three minutes, the newscaster spoke.

"Most of you know that many of the Order are out fighting tonight in Dublin, Ireland. We have an update."

Aurora looked up, tears silently streaming down her face now. Molly, Pippa, Holly, Nicola, and Italia all looked at the radio with her. Silence filled the room.

"We don't know where any of them are but we have a…a body count," he continued and the room became suddenly thick with tension; Molly had Arthur there and Aurora had Sirius there and Pippa had Remus there. "For the Death Eaters: Jonathan Haggard, Hilda Owens, Kimberly Reedy, Roy Reedy, Hanson Watson, and Joanne O'Leary. All Pure-Bloods. For the Order…Not as large but still some casualties...Jeremy O'Sullivan, an Irish Pure-Blood 'Blood Traitor'; Susan Quigley, another Pure-Blood 'Blood Traitor'; Thomas Ward, Muggle-Born; and Jeffery Young, 'Half-Breed'. That is all for tonight. Remember, 'it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.' Hold those you love as close as you can tonight. This is Jeremy Edwards reporting. Good night." And with a buzz, the radio station was off.

"But…but what about the rest?! Where's the rest about the battle!? Who was injured!? Where are they?!" Pippa began to pace, panicking. Aurora looked to her and was about to say something when a single knock from the front door echoed throughout the house. Molly, Holly, Nicola, Italia, and the boys rushed up the stairs to hide in the nursery. Pippa and Aurora approached the front door, wands drawn out in front of them. Precautions needed to be taken; precautions. Sirius wouldn't knock twice; it was their rule. Aurora peeped through the peephole and saw Sirius, Remus, and Arthur. It took all of Aurora's power to keep her from yanking that door open and jumping into her husband's arms.

"When we first met…where were we and what did I say to you?" Aurora asked loud enough so Sirius and the two other men could hear her. And Sirius responded.

"We were on the Hogwarts Express; the train had just left the station and people were still trying to find compartments. You sat with Severus Snape and Lily Evans. James Potter and I, Sirius Black, overheard the three of you talking about what Houses you would all get into. Severus said to Lily that she better get into Slytherin; you had made a face but didn't say anything until Lily asked you what House you thought you'd get into. You said 'either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw'.

"James spoke up and said that Gryffindor would be the best House to be in and you objected, saying that 'even if you're brave, it doesn't mean your smart; and brains are everything.' I made a snide remark…'Well, I guess you won't get into Ravenclaw then, eh?' and then you retorted with 'Sirius Black, I hope you do get into Gryffindor so your family will give you hell for it!'" He answered correctly and before he could say anything more, Aurora had the front door open and she was in his arms, crying into his shoulder.

"We need to change our code, love…It's a bit lengthy," he whispered in her ear and she clung to him tighter as he walked into the house with her. Molly had poked her head around the corner at the commotion and then squealed, running as fast as she could towards Arthur; they embraced as Molly cried. Pippa was holding her brother now and Aurora began to slowly release Sirius. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her, wiping her tears from her face. He looked tired and worn; his hair was disheveled and his eyes had dark circles under them.

They all settled down and then the three men began to tell the children and women everything that happened at the battle. When they were finished, Pippa asked a question. "Did you hear about the Hale's and Farnham's?"

"No…what happened?" Remus asked with concern heavy on his voice. Molly began to cry again and Pippa couldn't continue.

"They…they're all dead. The McKinnon's too," Aurora answered and the men looked at each other grievously.

"God…I can't believe…Marlene too then?" Sirius asked and Aurora nodded. He looked floored. He sat down next to her on the arm of the sofa and he squeezed her hand in his when she patted his thigh, looking up at him sadly.

* * *

Earlier that day…

"My Lord?" Alfred asked as he stepped into the dimly lit room. He could barely make out the small snake at his Lord's feet.

"Alfred…" Voldemort hissed and Alfred looked up at him.

"Yes, my Lord? You wanted to see me?"

"Yes…It seems to me that the McKinnon's are getting in the way…Just like the Hale's and Farnham's…"

"The…The Mc-McKinnon's, my Lord?" he didn't want to be hearing this; Marlene was his love. 'No…don't ask me to kill Marlene…'

"They need to be eradicated. Completely. Even the children." Voldemort spoke in a hissing voice and Alfred felt dread sink in his gut.

"My…My Lord?"

"I want you, Travers, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, Crabbe, and Goyle to go to the McKinnon's and end each and all of their lives…" His back was to Alfred as he spoke and Alfred had his mind blocked to him as he thought rapidly.

"Yes, my Lord…" he whispered out and turned on his heel, his mind reeling from his orders. He stopped just in front of the door and turned slowly again. "My Lord…may I ask a question?"

"Yes, Alfred?"

"May we spare Marlene McKinnon?"

"And why is that?"

"I…I…desire her…" he said softly. He couldn't say love; he'd be killed on the spot. "She is pure-blood, my Lord…She'd…be a good wife; a good breeder." He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth but he knew this was the only way she might be spared from death.

"Hmmm…" Alfred waited what seemed like forever but in reality was only half a minute. "Fine; you shall spare Marlene from death; she would breed pure-blooded children." He conceded and Alfred felt an immense relief fill him. Travers, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, Crabbe, and Goyle were in next. Once the plan was given to them, they, led by Alfred, left the house and went to find the McKinnon's.

Alfred and his fellow Death Eaters approached the McKinnon household at 8:30 pm. The lights were all on in the house; children were up in their rooms, the adults were in the sitting room. Bellatrix and Travers were getting excited so Alfred had to stop them before they entered.

"Remember; kill all but Marlene," he reminded them and they all nodded impatiently before following him towards the house. He stopped at the stairs of the porch and pointed his wand at the door. He used a blasting charm against the door; it blew off of its hinges with a loud bang and there were screams from all over the residence. The others rushed passed him and into the dwelling. His eyes were hard as he slowly walked over the threshold. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan were downstairs, fighting Marlene's father, mother and brother. Alfred could hear Travers, Crabbe, and Goyle attacking the children upstairs.

Marlene snarled and launched herself at Alfred. He was able to snatch her wrists in his but she had knocked his mask off. She stared up at him in complete shock. "Alfred?" she whispered under her breath just as Bellatrix brought Marlene's mother down. Marlene looked over her shoulder at her father's and brother's mixed yells of grief. Marlene screamed and began to cry and struggle.

"Marlene, listen to me," Alfred whispered in her ear and she stilled, her eyes on her dead mother as Bellatrix ran pass them to join the men upstairs. "Marlene, don't fight me. If you come quietly, if you give in and join the Death Eaters; you'll be spared. You can marry me and have children to secure your safety…" She looked up at him incredulously.

"You're not the Alfred I knew…the Alfred I dated…the Alfred…" she trailed off and he frowned. He got her down to her knees and then bound her with ropes from his wand. She was gagged as she glared up at him with stubborn, painful tears. Alfred heard the silence and looked around; Marlene's father and brother, Henry and Henry Jr., lay on the floor, dead.

They were about ten feet from Marlene's mother, Alexis. Travers, Bellatrix, Crabbe, and Goyle came back downstairs, smiles of complete pride and happiness on their faces; they carried with them Marlene's two younger brothers' and baby sister, all dead. Marlene made a strangled noise from the floor and she slumped over, shaking with sobs. Even the family dog was dead, lying awkwardly in the hallway.

"Are we done?" Travers asked, his eyes sliding to Marlene. Alfred stepped in front of her, his eyes set in a glare at Travers.

"Remember what the Dark Lord told you; she is to be spared," he reminded the blood-thirsty man. He scowled but let it slide. Somehow, Alfred let his guard down, his ropes that were bound around Marlene slackened and Marlene took advantage of the situation. She attacked Alfred from behind. She jumped on his back, yanking at his hair and scratching at his face. He yelled and doubled over with her weight on his back. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were restraining the others from attacking. Marlene was able to get to her wand that was lying on the couch that Alfred had landed by. She pointed her wand at him but before she could say a word, there was a flash of green, a rushing sound, and a soft thud about three feet from Alfred.

"NO!" He yelled as his eyes widened and he shuffled over to Marlene's dead body on his knees. He cradled her to him, her head resting against his shoulder as he gazed down at her. A shaky hand slowly brushed her bangs from her eyes; her golden hair lay neatly about her head like a halo and her beautiful hazel-green eyes gazed up at nothing, lifeless. She was already getting cold. Alfred sniffed and squeezed his eyes shut tightly to prevent the tears from falling from his eyes; his back was to his so called friends, his shoulders shaking with rage and grief. He gently placed Marlene's head back down on the carpet and stood slowly, turning wiht his wand pointed at Travers. He looked deranged, his eyes wild and his mouth set in a snarl. "_CRUCIO_!" he bellowed.

Travers shrieked and dropped to the floor, writhing and yelling in pain after the curse hit him squarely between his eyes. He approached Travers slowly, his wand still pointed at him as the man on the floor still moved in odd angles and strange movements, crying out in pain. "SHE WAS TO BE_ SPARED_!" he roared and Travers jerked harshly, screaming loudly in pain.

Bellatrix reached out and grasped Alfred's wrist urgently. He rounded on her, leaving Travers to pant upon the floor, unable to really move because he was so sore. Bellatrix backed up towards her brother-in-law, her hands in the air; Rodolphus stepped to her side, half in front of her. "Alfred…She was going to kill you…"

"She wouldn't have!"

"How do you know? How would any of us know?" Bellatrix asked and Alfred faltered slightly.

"She loved me…" he whispered and Bellatrix actually looked sympathetic. She approached him slowly and gently pushed his wand to his chest.

"It's too late now…There's nothing anyone can do now…"

Alfred didn't look at any of them and in less than a second, he walked out of the house forever, leaving them behind.

* * *

Thanks to AmeliaRose for the add and thanks to EmSyd and MilitaryMarauder for the reviews. Sad, I know. Another twist...Alfred was in looooooove. Isn't that fantastic? Well, I hope you like this darker chapter. Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	39. Runaway

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Conri Carmine Black, Rupert Severus Badeau (Lupin-Snape), Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

The Order held the funeral for the Hale's, Farnham's, and McKinnon's all on August 31st, 1981. The Muggles were a bit curious to see why there was such a large crowd; some were whispering about some Muggle celebrities being put to rest. Dumbledore was able to shoo them away though and once they were out of sight, he very carefully put Muggle Wards around the spot everyone was crowded in. It was a dreary day; no sun but no rain. There was a huge dinner after the funeral but Aurora, Sirius, Pippa, Lily, James, Molly, Arthur, Alice, Frank, and some other parents decided to head back to their little ones. 

Aurora knew that Alfred had come to watch the funerals; she couldn't see him but she could feel him and he was alone. But for some reason, she didn't have the heart to rat him out. He was grieving now too. Aurora had known Marlene because of her relationship with Alfred when they were at Hogwarts; they had dated from their third year at Hogwarts till about two years afterwards. He had ended it pretty abruptly and Aurora later found out that it was because Marlene had been hinting about marriage and family. He had panicked and bolted. Why? She had a feeling she would never know. After all, he had said that he was jealous of Tim for what he had. So why would Alfred bail on a chance to have a family?

The next day, Aurora and Sirius saw Holly and Nicola off to school; Pippa had stayed home with Italia to watch after the babies. The children leaving for Hogwarts seemed more solemn and melancholy that day and Aurora realized that they had lost two of their fellow students; Marlene's younger brothers, Phillip, 14, and Alexander, 12. Both had been 'sons' of Gryffindor.

Aurora had to get used to a house with three babies, a young child, and another PMSing woman; as well as an absent husband. Sirius was constantly out working during the day and battling Death Eaters at night; he'd usually creep into bed around 2 am each morning and be gone for work by 6 am. Pippa was proving to be an extraordinary mother to her son but Aurora could see the sadness in her eyes every time she looked at Rupert.

And one day, in late September, Pippa left in the morning on a Sunday before anyone was awake; she left a note on the island counter in the kitchen.

_Dear Aurora and Sirius,_

_I'm so sorry, but I have to leave. Not forever; I'll be back in a few weeks…maybe a few months, but nothing longer than a year. I just can't look at him anymore without seeing Severus. I need to get away, clear my head and refocus. I'll see you when I see you._

_Simply,_

_Pippa_

Aurora stared at the paper blankly, her eyes blinking rapidly. "I knew we couldn't trust her to stay…Now what do you tell everyone? What are you going to tell Remus?"

"Me? What about 'we'? We're in this together, Sirius, if you don't recall," Aurora snapped irritably. Their relationship had been strained since the funeral; the fact that he was never home didn't help either, nor did the fact that he would make snide comments about her not helping the Order and not having a job. She was getting frustrated and angry with him.

"This was all your idea!" he yelled and Aurora glanced over at Italia, who stood next to the back of the sofa; she was watching them with wide, timid eyes. Aurora directed her attention back to Sirius, her eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't mine; it was Pippa's. You aren't being very sympathetic towards her, Sirius."

"She left, Aurora! What sympathy does she deserve?"

"Can you imagine raising a child on your own, knowing the father but not being able to tell him that he fathered a son? Can you, Sirius? It's got to be hell…" Aurora felt a surge of protectiveness for Pippa.

"She needs to put it behind her and just raise the damn thing!"

"Thing? _Thing_? Sirius…you're heartless." She sounded disgusted. Sirius glared back at her.

"I'm not. It's her kid, damn it! She needs to raise him, not us."

"I understand that he's her son, Sirius; but he's also our friend's nephew and my friend's son!"

"Which friend?" he asked snidely.

"What are you getting after?" He just glared at her and she continued. "You've gotten meaner and meaner lately, Sirius. You're always gone, either at work or fighting for the Order---"

"Both of which you don't do."

Aurora flushed and walked away, her back to him. "I can't."

"You can too."

"No, I can't. _You_ can't take care of yourself, let alone four children; I can't help the Order and I can't work," she defended.

"You could always leave the kids with Lily and James; hell, leave them with Peter."

"Peter?" Aurora scoffed. The little man of whom they spoke was not on the top of her trust list.

"Yes, Peter. He'll watch the kids."

"He doesn't have kids; he wouldn't know what to do with ours," she responded coldly.

"Why don't you trust him?" Sirius asked angrily, moving around the counter to stand in front of her. She looked up at him stubbornly.

"Why don't you trust Remus?" she shot back and they stood there, quiet, just glaring at one another.

"Both of you stop it." Both turned to look down at Italia. She looked a bit nervous but defiant at the same time. "Stop arguing and fighting; I don't trust Peter either, Sirius. He's…he's strange." She spoke quietly and Sirius frowned.

"Fine," he snapped and walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He jerked the coat closet door open and grabbed his black drench coat.

"Where are you going?" Aurora asked as she followed him.

"I'm going to go do something _useful_ for the Order," he replied harshly, walking to the door.

"Oh, go right ahead then! Do what you do best, Sirius Black! Walk away!" She yelled after him, glaring at his retreating back angrily. She huffed and crossed her arms after slamming the front door shut behind him.

"Sissy?" Italia slowly walked to her older sister, tears in her eyes. "Sissy…are you and Sirius going to get a divorce?" Aurora started, her eyes widening. She hadn't realized their fighting was really affecting her. She knelt down to her little sister and beckoned her into a hug. She squeezed her gently in a loving embrace and kissed her cheek.

"A divorce? Where have you heard of that?"

"I overheard you talking to Aunty Dromeda," Italia sniffled and Aurora paled. She had heard them talking about their marriages. Aurora pulled away from Italia slightly, placing her hands on Italia's shoulders.

With a gentle squeeze, Aurora spoke. "No, Sirius and I won't get a divorce," she tried to reassure the six year old but the look that Italia gave her told her that she really didn't believe Aurora; and Aurora really didn't believe herself.

Aurora stayed up for the rest of the night, unable to sleep. Italia had been quiet for the rest of the day and the babies were asleep most of the time. It was a very quiet house and Aurora suddenly felt very, very alone. She looked up at the clock above the telly; one in the morning already. She sighed heavily, her arms crossing as she sat on the sofa, listening to the quiet. Isis hooted feebly in the sun room next to the kitchen and Angel lay next to Aurora on the sofa, purring softly. Aurora's legs were crossed and one foot was waving in the air quickly; a nervous habit. Aurora got up and slowly shuffled into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. Finally, the front door opened and Sirius came in; he was soaked. She peeked around the corner and smiled slightly at him. He watched her, slowly removing his coat. She went back to the sink and took a sip of water as she gazed out into the raining world just outside.

She heard him walk into the kitchen, his shoes squeaking against the linoleum floor. She didn't turn and she knew he was staring at her back; she could see his reflection in the window in front of her. "Look…I know you're probably still mad…I'm sorry, ok? I love you…" He spoke finally and her eyes closed, the tension slowly leaving her.

"James told you to get your arse back here?"

"Yeah…" he looked sheepish as she turned to face him. He walked to her, his arms wrapping low around her waist. "But I wanted to come back too. I love you. And I am sorry." She nodded, understanding and then she frowned.

"You're very wet."

"Well…really? I hadn't noticed," he remarked sarcastically and she playfully slapped his chest.

"Behave yourself, Mr. Black," she whispered and then he was kissing her and soon, they were making their way upstairs, tripping and stumbling over each other and random objects in the hallway. Lucky them, Italia was fast asleep. They were on the bed soon; all of their clothes were in random piles upon the floor. She stopped the snogging and reached over for her wand. When she turned back to him, he was grinning and she blushed at the look he was giving her. "What?"

"You look amazing…two kids and all…" he told her and rubbed her thigh. She felt heat pool between her legs. He went to kiss her again but she stopped him.

"Protection," she told him when he gave her a quizzical look. She pointed the wand at her abdomen and said "_Ortus Imperium_." A thin, light pink substance, neither gas nor liquid, slid out of the tip of Aurora's holly wand and curled upon her naked abdomen. It slowly faded into her skin and disappeared.

"What was that?" Sirius asked in bemusement.

"It's something Madam Pomfrey taught all of us girls in our fifth year; it's a Birth Control that is 100 effective. So I won't be getting pregnant tonight."

Sirius pouted playfully at her. "I kind of like seeing you barefoot and pregnant…" he teased and Aurora flushed again. He grinned and then he resumed what they had started.

* * *

Ortus Imperium: _Latin_- Birth Control 

I'm not sure how accurate this is; I used a Latin to English website that I've used before.

Thanks to Baby Seal and EmSyd for the reviews and add! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review. Thanks. -Siriusgrl88

P.S. Sorry for the wait! With the holidays and all, I figured it would be better if I had waited to post this chapter. But don't worry, I'll update again in a week!


	40. Tragedy

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Conri Carmine Black, Rupert Severus Badeau (Lupin-Snape), Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

OOOO Pretty dark chapter here. Thought I'd warn you. It's very sad. I even cried while typing it :( OOOO

September finished quickly and they were already two weeks into October but still no Pippa. Remus had gone berserk when Aurora told him that Pippa had just disappeared. He became irrational and on October 3rd, he too was gone, leaving a note that said he was going to find her. Aurora and Lily kept in contact through Dumbledore, who visited them a lot. Aurora was hardly ever able to visit them herself but she finally got another chance on October 14th.

Aurora and Sirius were borrowing the Invisibility Cloak that was James'. Aurora had Conri in a baby carrier that was strapped to her front; Sirius had the same strapped to him but with Rupert in it. Italia held Annalisa the best she could while staying under the cloak. They were able to Apparate into the square in Godric's Hollow and then they walked to James' and Lily's house. They got up to the door and knocked; they remained under the cloak just in case. They could hear James talk to Lily as he came to the door. They heard him stop and they knew that he was peaking out to see if he could see anyone. Then he asked Sirius a question.

"My Animagus and my nickname?" James' voice said through the door. Sirius grinned.

"You transform into a stag and you're nickname is Prongs. Now let us in; it's cold and we have three babes and a kid, you berk." The door opened and as soon as they were over the threshold, James had shut the door. Sirius threw the cloak off of them and hung it on the knob of the banister. Aurora helped Sirius and herself out of the baby carriers before turning and hugging Lily and then James. Italia beamed, smiling widely at Lily who kneeled down to take Annalisa from her.

They went to the sitting room and Aurora arranged herself on the sofa with the three babies. Lily joined her with Harry a few minutes later and soon Annalisa and Harry were playing by the hearth as Lily cooed over Conri and Rupert. Sirius and James were laughing and joking with each other as Italia began to look around.

"It's so good to see you, Aurora…" Lily said happily as they watched Annalisa and Harry giggle and play with each other. Aurora smiled at her as she took a picture of the babies.

"It's good to see you again too, Lil. So, how has everything been?" she asked as she took a beautiful picture of her best friend; Lily's green eyes twinkled in the lights from the ceiling lights and her dark red hair glimmered and caught the light from the fireplace. She was smiling from ear-to-ear.

"Oh everything has been ace; though James wishes he could help the Order more. He's been in an arse-on for quite a while now. He doesn't do much either; mostly just arses around," Lily complained to her friend, sending James a playful look and smile. Aurora laughed.

"He and I feel the same then; I wish I could help the Order more than I am…"

"But you can't. You have a family to raise now; you have to think of your children and younger sisters." Lily said exactly what Aurora had been trying to convey to her husband for weeks and, when Aurora looked over at Sirius, he looked a bit sheepish.

Hours passed and soon it was pass midnight. Italia was lying down next to Aurora, her little golden head resting against Aurora's thigh. Annalisa, Rupert, and Conri were fast asleep as well; Lily had already put Harry to bed upstairs. James helped Sirius strap up and Lily did the same for Aurora before she went to Italia and gently awoke the child. Italia yawned and stretched before sliding off of the couch, her blonde hair ruffled from sleep. She clung to Aurora's leg and somehow they were able to get out of the door under the cloak. Aurora took one last glance back at her friends and she saw them smiling and waving at them even though Aurora, Sirius, and the kids were completely invisible. Aurora had no idea that this was going to be the last time she saw them alive.

* * *

The days passed slowly for Aurora who was always stuck in the house. Lately though, Dumbledore confined Sirius to the house as well, which made him very anxious and angry. They fought here and there but their love life was doing great. It was October 31st and Aurora sat next to the window in the living room with Italia as the sky darkened. Italia was upset that she couldn't go out and Trick or Treat and Aurora felt terrible for her. One thing was sure about this Hiding stuff: you didn't have a life.

'Something feels wrong…' Aurora thought as she stroked Italia's soft hair while the little girl pouted as a small group of trick or treators walked by the house, oblivious to it's existence. Sirius was gone for the day; Dumbledore had come to get him, bringing James' Invisibility Cloak for Sirius to use. Aurora glanced at the clock above the telly. '7 pm…'

"I'm going upstairs. This is depressing…" Italia suddenly said as she moved away from the window and went upstairs to her room, shuffling her feet the whole way. Aurora frowned and pet Angel on the head gently. She got up a few minutes later and went to the kitchen to feed the cat/kneazle hybrid and Isis. After they were done, she had the distinct feeling that she should move them upstairs. And so she did. She put Isis in her cage and called for Angel to follow her, which she did with a loud meow. Aurora placed the owl and cat in her room and then went back downstairs. She began cleaning the dishes and soon, it was 8 pm. She went back upstairs to take a shower.

She took a quick one, getting out after about fifteen minutes. She toweled off and then changed into a pair of Sirius' flannel PJs. She went to the nursery to check on Annalisa, Rupert, and Conri. Rupert and Annalisa were awake but Conri was fast asleep. Aurora cooed to Annalisa and tickled Rupert's tummy, making the baby boy squirm and gurgle happily at her. Then she heard it.

A soft mumbling was coming from the baby monitor that stood on the small light yellow stand next to Annalisa's bed; Sirius had replaced the batteries and had left the baby part of the monitor downstairs in the living room and Aurora always carried her part of the monitor with her. Aurora stilled as her wide eyes watched the monitor. She grabbed it and put it to her ear, listening intently.

"---Travers, listen to me! Damn it…Do you want to be punished by the Dark Lord because you didn't really listen to him or me?" Aurora recognized her older brother's deep voice. Travers became quiet and Alfred continued. "Good. Now, remember: Do NOT kill any of them. He wants to be able to keep the babes and young girl so he can influence them."

"But what of the Black woman?" Travers spoke and Aurora felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't some coincidental cut in from a different line; they were downstairs in _her_ house.

"She's to be saved for him; he has his own plans for her. Torture her if you must, but do not aim to kill any of them."

"And what of my as-good-as-dead cousin?" came a woman's voice and Aurora recognized it as belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange. Aurora was breathing quickly but softly now and she felt the blood drain from her face as she began to tremble.

"Kill him. Oh and kill the animals; Aurora has an owl and a kneazle/cat hybrid; the hybrid will attack if she sees Aurora being hurt. So is everything understood?" There was a soft agreement from his fellows and Aurora reacted instantly. She put the monitor back on the stand and turned it off before she went and got Angel and Isis, trying to get Italia's attention on the way but it didn't work. She placed the animals in the nursery and then went to Italia's room quietly and slowly; her eyes were trained on the stair case. Unfortunately, Italia's and Nicola's room sat directly in front of the stair case and the door was wide open. Aurora froze when she saw Alfred, Bellatrix, Travers, and Rodolphus at the bottom of the stairs; and they saw her too.

They all reacted at once; Aurora dashed to Italia's room and grabbed the six year old's wrist, ducking as a green flash was sent at her; Italia screamed; Alfred yelled and reprimanded Travers again; Rodolphus sent a Stunning spell at Aurora and Italia, but they ducked and tumbled. Aurora stood quickly and lifted Italia onto her feet just as Rodolphus tackled her from behind. Italia screamed again and Aurora cried out as she landed hard on her shoulder. She looked around for her wand and saw it lying three feet ahead of her. She reached for it but Rodolphus punched her in the ribs, making her cry out in pain again.

Alfred, Bellatrix, and Travers joined them in the hall; Italia reacted quickly. She grabbed Aurora's wand and pointed it at Rodolphus. She let out a frustrated scream and a burst of red shot out of Aurora's wand; Rodolphus was Stunned. Aurora got up immediately, took the wand from Italia and pointed it at Alfred. "Italia, go to the nursery now. Grab onto Angel and Isis' cages." Italia nodded and did as her older sister had ordered, disappearing from sight. The adults in the hallway were still, all wands pointed at Aurora and hers pointed at Alfred still. 'Protego,' she thought silently and a protective shield shot up between them all. Aurora made a run for the nursery door.

She slammed the door shut, making the babies cry from being startled. Italia looked frightened and Aurora placed an anti-intruder spell on the room after locking it securely. She knew there wasn't much time still so she grabbed the filled baby bags that had everything she needed for each baby in them and she grabbed her small duffle bag that had clothes for her, Italia, and Sirius in it. She grabbed the two brooms that were leaned up against the wall for an emergency. She turned and handed one to Italia, who looked at it with large eyes.

"Italia, I just need you to follow me on that broom; you've had practice, remember?" Italia nodded and Aurora put charms on the baby bags, the duffle bag, and Angel's and Isis' cages to make them feather light. She put them on one broom and opened the window. She helped Italia onto the broom and got the babes, placed them in their baby carriers, and made them feather light as well, then she put them on her broom. She got on it and kicked off; floating outside of the window. She looked back; Italia kicked off and slowly rose out of the window just as the door broke open. Italia screamed and shot forward, flying pass Aurora. Aurora cried out and put one last Shield Charm up before she took off after Italia; she caught up with the terrified girl and gently grabbed her broom with her right hand, steering both brooms now.

They flew to the safest place Aurora could think off; Lily's and James'. She knew something was very, very wrong when they landed in the forest just behind the cemetery. The night was eerily quiet. It was Halloween; where were the children in their costumes? Aurora led the way to James' and Lily's but when she got closer to the house she noticed a crowd of wizard's and witches. Aurora shushed the babies and led Italia to the house.

She almost dropped everything when she saw the wreckage; the upper right part of the house was blown apart. Aurora's breath hitched in her throat as Italia began to cry again. Aurora took a step forward but was stopped by an old man. She looked up and saw Dumbledore's crying face. She gently handed him the baby carriers and walked pass him, despite hearing him and many others object. She made her way through the maze of people and into the house, slowly. Time seemed to stand still, like everyone was moving like a sloth except for her.

She looked shocked at the sight of James. She kneeled down at his head and gently brushed his dark bangs out of his lifeless brown eyes. "Oh James…" She sounded choked up as she adjusted his glasses, that were askew on his face. She heard someone behind her telling her to leave. She shook her head and kissed James' cold forehead before she thought of his son and Lily. "Lily!" Aurora cried out and left James to dart up the unstable stairs. She heard people yelling after her but she kept going anyway, one hand on the busted banister and the other on the wall. She didn't feel anything, even when a thick sliver of wood sliced her palm open.

She stopped at the nursery door and slowly pushed it open. There was a body covered there, near the crib. She slowly approached it, praying that it wasn't Lily. But then she saw it; a tuft of dark red hair sticking out from under the sheet. Aurora screamed and pulled the sheet off of her friend, who stared up at her with wide, glassy green eyes. The tears were immediate as Aurora gently and shakily touched her dead friend's soft hair and cold face. "Lily!" She screamed and cried harder as she pressed her own forehead against her best friend's and squeezed her eyes shut. "No! Nooooooooooooo!"

It took them ten minutes to tear Aurora from Lily and to drag her down the stairs. They gave her to Dumbledore and the old man pulled her to him, hugging her and rubbing her back as soothingly as he could as they both cried. After a few moments, Aurora looked up at Dumbledore and asked the question that she suddenly feared to speak. "Where's Harry?"

"He's alive…"

"What?" She was shocked; James and Lily lay dead in the house but Harry, a mere baby boy, was still alive? She felt a mix of feelings; relief, agony, worry, anger...

"Voldemort came after James and Lily because of a Prophecy that spoke of Voldemort and a boy born in July to parents who defied him three times…"

"But Frank and Alice…they…"

"Aurora, Frank and Alice were attacked tonight as well. They escaped unscathed with baby Neville. We believe that Voldemort was covering his bases; that included you, the Longbottoms, and the Potters. Fortunately, his plan backfired…He tried to kill Harry after Lily gave her life up for him; his Killing Curse backfired off of Harry and killed himself. Voldemort is dead."

"Dead?" She felt a bittersweet satisfaction at the news. She looked around and then kneeled down to Italia, bringing the young girl to her. They stayed there, crying in each other's arms as Minerva and Albus watched after the three babes. Italia didn't have to go inside the house to know that Lily and James weren't going to be around anymore.

* * *

:( Lily's and James' death. Very, very sad. Poor Aurora. She thought she'd be safe there. The reason why I had Aurora and her sister and kids attacked was because I don't think Voldemort is one to not cover his bases, so to speak. He's pretty thorough when he's not panicked or acting rashly. Anyway, sad chapter. I'll have the last one up next and then the sequel shall be started. Thanks to EmSyd, sands' gal, and MilitaryMaruader for the reviews and thanks to wickedwench1 and hovizi for the adds! Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	41. The End of Things

Disclaimer: Aurora Clementine Badeau, Annalisa Dairine Black, Conri Carmine Black, Rupert Severus Badeau (Lupin-Snape), Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), Nikita Gorbachova, Rosaline Amherst, and Delilah Abernathy are all (C) to me :)

Pippa Lupin (C) Ashley :)

The other Lupins that are (C) to no one really. I don't claim to own them and they are not mentioned in any of the HP books. You may do as you wish with them.

All other characters are (C) Jo Rowling.

* * *

Minerva took the three babies and Italia to Hogwarts as Albus and Aurora went to Molly and Arthur's house to let her change. She came out of the bathroom of the Burrow in tight jeans, a off the shoulder sweater, a thick jacket, tennis shoes, and a Ravenclaw scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair hung about her shoulders, straight as a bone. Molly and Arthur gave her their condolences but Aurora was too dazed to really feel anything anymore. Albus and Aurora left them and then were quickly caught by Cornelius Fudge. 

He looked very serious as he approached them and Albus smiled slightly at the smaller wizard. "Yes, Cornelius?"

"Excuse me, Dumbledore, but I need to speak with Aurora alone."

"No," Aurora said quietly, catching the little wizard off guard. "I want Dumbledore here."

"Oh alright then…Mrs. Black, do you know where your husband is?"

"Sirius? No…why?" And then it clicked; she had been so caught up in her sister and children's safety and James' and Lily's deaths that she completely forgot about how they could have ended up dead. Their Secret Keeper had to have given them up willingly for their whereabouts to be revealed to Voldemort; Sirius was James' and Lily's Secret Keeper. "No…Sirius…He wouldn't give up his best mate…" Aurora seemed flustered and almost lost.

"Cornelius, Sirius left their home with me earlier this terrible day; I know at least that he did not go back." Dumbledore spoke matter-of-factly and Aurora looked like she was lost in deep thought.

"Do you know where he is then, Albus?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Minister! We have news!" A tall young wizard with a long face, small goatee, and dark eyes ran to Cornelius and handed him a letter. He read it to himself and then looked up at Albus and Aurora.

"Come with me," he stated simply and Aurora and Albus grabbed his arms. He turned on the spot and then they Apparated in a very crowded street. They hurried forward, pushing Muggles, witches and wizards aside as they went. Aurora staggered a bit when they came into the cleared part of the street. Her eyes bulged and her face paled. "Sirius…" she whispered his name under her breath as she gazed around the destroyed street.

There was a large crater in the middle of the street; a water line had been destroyed as well so water spouted out of the crater, making it seem as though it were raining which wasn't a good thing on a cold night like this. Aurora hurried forward, leaving Albus and Cornelius behind as she searched for Sirius. She saw that the crater had actually taken out a few houses and the bodies of Muggles littered the street. And then she saw him; he was leaning up against a 'cop' car that the ministry was using to keep the Muggles from getting too suspicious. His hands were behind his back and his black hair hung about his face in clumps due to the water. She ran to him but was caught around the middle by a Ministry Official.

"Get off of her!" Sirius roared and lurched forward but another wizard had to club him in the ribs with a fat black stick. Sirius let out a puff of air and doubled over. Aurora was able to fight off the officials and went to Sirius. She placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly straightened him up. She pushed his hair out of his face with trembling hands as she looked him in the eyes. He looked angry and frightened and devastated.

"What happened here?" she whispered.

"Peter…he---"

"You killed Peter Pettigrew and these twelve innocent Muggles," one fat wizard accused as he brandished his own stick. Aurora looked from the fat wizard to Sirius, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

He shook his head, his eyes pleading with her. "No, no, Aurora…I didn't betray Lily and James! I didn't kill Peter!" he objected and then she felt herself being pulled away from him. She didn't fight back; she was too shocked. They led him away but Sirius and Aurora never broke eye contact until he was loaded into the back of a cop car. He looked out at her from the window and he mouthed the words 'I love you' to her. She mouthed them back automatically as she watched the car drive away.

* * *

It was raining on November 3rd, 1981. Aurora, Holly, Nicola, Italia, Albus, and many others were crowded in a little cemetery in Godric's Hollow. The priest was reading from the bible as the two caskets were lowered slowly into the ground, the rain pouring down on the smooth, glossy surface of the caskets and the lilies and roses that covered the tops of them. Aurora stood impassively as every woman around her sobbed. Once the caskets were covered with dirt and completely buried, Albus patted her shoulder gently. She blinked, breaking out of her trance. She slowly looked at him but didn't convey a single emotion to him. 

She turned to her three sobbing sisters and gathered them up. She led them away from the cemetery and to the car. They loaded into it and Aurora drove them away, following the flying car above them. They pulled up to the Burrow and went into the large, shabby looking house. The Weasley's followed them into the house but no one spoke a word. Aurora said nothing as she, Holly, Nicola, and Italia went to their guest rooms at the Burrow and bedded down for the night. Aurora didn't sleep that night; instead she cried.

* * *

Aurora sat in a circular court room with a high ceiling and many benches that surrounded a chair that stood in the very middle of the room and three other similar chairs sat behind that one in one row. In the lone chair, Alfred sat, chains binding his wrists and ankles to the chair. He looked dirty and disheveled; behind him, Travers, Mulciber, and Wilkes sat in the three chairs. Aurora sat next to Kingsley, Moody, and Dumbledore. It was late November now. Crouch Sr. sat at the front of the trial officials, his eyes narrowed at Alfred. Alfred, Travers, Mulciber, and Wilkes were found searching for Voldemort's whereabouts in Albania when they were found and arrested. 

"Alfred Cillian Badeau, you have been brought here in front of the Council of Magical Law to answer charges against you. We've heard the evidence against you and we're very close to making our verdict. Is there anything you'd like to add to your testimony before we announce our verdict?"

Alfred remained still for a few seconds before he turned his head to look up at Aurora, his eyes filled with feigned guilt. She knew he was acting, hoping to convince her to stand up and defend him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked down at him. "Aurora…Sis…Please…You know I didn't do any of that…"

"Do I?" she asked in a clipped tone.

"Aurora, please…I was under the Imperius Curse!"

"You're too damn head strong to be controlled with the Imperius Curse, you little liar!" she snapped, standing now. Dumbledore gently touched her hand but she flinched away from him, walking down the steps to the edge of the benches. She grasped the railing hard as she glared down at her older brother. "You killed Tim and Thekla! The Death Eaters and Voldemort didn't make you!" She felt the people around her flinch at Voldemort's name.

"Aurora, please! You know I wouldn't do something like that! He was my twin brother! I loved Tim!"

"Liar!"

The gavel hit solid wood, making a resounding crack echo around the room but Aurora didn't flinch like her brother. She looked over to Crouch Sr.

"Calm yourself, Mrs. Black," he warned her in a detesting tone. Moody settled at her side and tried to lead her back to her seat but she refused.

"Alfred," she spoke again, her voice commanding. He looked at her, a look of hope on his face. "Are you jealous of me now?" Alfred flushed and looked away from her. She shook her head slightly before turning on her heel and storming out of the court room. It didn't take her long to get out of the Ministry all together. She pulled her jacket on and zipped it up as she got outside, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets. Sirius' favorite Gryffindor scarf blew in the breeze and she sniffed and watched her feet as she walked away from building, alone.

She still couldn't quite believe that her best friends were dead, and that her own husband was behind bars for a crime that she just couldn't believe he'd be able to commit. How odd that she suddenly became a single mother in one night. She was completely alone now. Pippa was still gone as was her brother, Remus; Peter was supposedly dead; Lily and James were dead; Harry was living with Petunia Dursley, Lily's last living relative; and now Aurora was all alone; alone to raise her three younger sisters, her own two children, and her friend's son.

Aurora hadn't been happy about leaving Harry with Petunia; she knew that Petunia hated their 'kind' and community with a passion because she hadn't been included. Aurora knew that Harry was going to have a difficult childhood. When the time came, she'd let Harry know that he still had family, even if they weren't blood relatives.

As for Voldemort…Aurora frowned slightly as she looked up from the ground beneath her feet finally, her eyes squinted against the cold wind; her hair wiped around behind her as she trudged on through the snow that was falling and the snow that had already fallen.

He wasn't gone; she knew he wasn't. She could still feel him as if he was standing right next to her. She knew that he'd be back. It was just a matter of time…

* * *

Kind of an Epilogue… 

Aurora smiled as she looked up at the castle through her sunglasses. Her luggage was floating behind her; her wand was in her jean shorts pocket. It was a warm July afternoon and the sun was shining brightly. She felt a tug on both of her hands and she looked down at her son, Conri, and her daughter, Annalisa. Conri looked up at her with wide, light grey eyes. Each day he looked more and more like Sirius; it was a bittersweet sight. He was only three years old and Annalisa was now four. Italia stood to Conri's right, her hand being held by the three year old Rupert, whom Aurora was still passing off as her own son.

"Mummy? Where are we?" Annalisa asked and Aurora beamed.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she answered and Italia, who was nine now, turned to her, smiling as well. Holly and Nicola approached them from behind. Holly was going to be starting her fifth year at Hogwarts this year and Nicola was starting her fourth; Italia was still too young but she was getting close; just two more years. Holly, Nicola, and Italia raced each other to the front doors and Rupert clung to Conri as Aurora led the three children towards their new home. The front doors opened wide after the three older girls ran over to the lake, and Dumbledore came striding out, his arms outstretched and a wide grin on his wrinkled face, his piercing blue eyes twinkling.

"Aurora!"

"Albus!" Aurora let go of her children's' hands and went to Dumbledore, hugging him like she would a grandfather.

"It is very good to see you…"

"Ditto…" she responded with a smile. "This is Annalisa..." she pointed to Annalisa, who smiled sweetly and then hugged Dumbledore's leg. "This is Conri…" she pointed to Conri who blinked up at Dumbledore, his little head tilted all the way back. "And this is Rupert…" she indicated Rupert, who 'eeped' and hid behind her bare legs.

"Hello, hello! Are you all excited about living at Hogwarts?" The three children nodded enthusiastically and then looked over at Italia, Nicola, and Holly as Italia let out a squeal and then there was a splash.

"Out of the water, you three; there's a giant squid in there!" Aurora called to them and she heard Italia say "Oh gross!" before the three were soon seen bounding towards them, giggling and smiling. Albus led them into the castle and Filch took their luggage from them. Albus showed Aurora her classroom and then showed her were she and her four little ones would be sleeping. Holly and Nicola took Italia, Annalisa, Conri, and Rupert on their own little tour as Aurora and Albus walked back towards the front doors.

"Are you glad to be back in the Wizarding community?"

"Mmmm…Yeah. I'm a bit iffy about it all but I think I'll settle soon," she replied truthfully and smiled slightly at him.

"You look a lot happier…"

"Do I? I don't feel that much happier…I think about them all every day, you know."

"As do most of us," Albus replied with a knowing look.

"How's Sirius?"

"He is well; his belief that he is innocent has kept him from going insane…He misses you and his children and your sisters, Aurora."

Aurora frowned and nodded, looking away. "Yeah?"

"Yes. Perhaps you should go see him sometime soon?"

"Perhaps…" And a long, comfortable silence stretched between them before he spoke again.

"Well, I have things I must be attending to…Do make yourself at home, Aurora; I daresay, it is your home now, isn't it?" he smiled at her and she smiled back before he turned and walked back into the castle. Aurora walked on and didn't stop until she was under the tree by the lake. She watched the giant squid stretch a few arms out over the surface of the water and she swore she heard the merpeople singing in its depths. She looked at the tree for a while as memory upon memory crashed over her in waves. She didn't cry as she would have done only a few years ago, but smiled instead, as she remembered the sunny days that she spent with Lily and Pippa out beneath this tree and the day that Sirius kissed her and told her that he would never let her go; good memories.

She turned and headed back for the castle a few minutes later. As she stepped over the threshold of the school again, she smiled to herself. 'Now it's time for new memories…' And so, Aurora really began her teaching career at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

Wow...I actually finished a fanfiction! I'm really happy with this story. I hope you all really enjoyed reading it :) Please, please review as this is the very last chapter for this story and I want to know if you'll all be interested in reading the sequel. I will have the sequel up some time soon :D The sequel, which I've been working on while I've been posting this story, is already 50+ chapters :/ I might break that up into parts. Let me tell you now that I brief over the 1st and 2nd books/movies and get right into the 3rd book/movie (it starts in chapter 4, I believe). I wouldn't have gotten to the 5th book/movie had I done the 1st and 2nd book/movie. 

Anyway, the sequel focuses mostly on Annalisa and her time with Harry, Hermione, Ron, her brothers, the rest of the Weasley's and so on. The Golden Trio is now the Golden Quad lol If you'd like me to go into a bit more detail for the 1st and 2nd books/movies in the sequel, let me know and I'll see what I can do. But that means that I have to push back the submission of the sequel :( Thank you all for reading this story and I really, really hope and wish that you all continue to read my stories here-after. Love ya! -Siriusgrl88

P.S. Don't forget to review! And thanks to EmSyd, cathopes, and CHEEKIMONKEY for the reviews and Neverending Shades of Grey for the add! I hope you all loved this last chapter :)


	42. And So

Hello all! Well, as my readers should know: This story is completed! Done. Finished. Ended. Se ha acabado (it's all over/Spanish).

Except, not really :) You see, a sequel is being finished right now and I will be posting it soon…As soon as I get a few more reviews for this completed story that you've already read. So, to my readers who haven't reviewed ever: Review now please and I'll give you more. How am I supposed to know how much you really liked it? Or what really got you to read it? Or what you didn't like? Or what annoyed you about it? What about your favorite characters that aren't canon? Did you like how I did portray the canon characters? I need to know these things before I post the sequel and then the prequel.

Plus, I've also started a story about Andromeda Tonks (nee Black) and it doesn't directly tie into this story (_**The Story **__**Before**__** the Story**_; for those of you who are confused) nor its prequel and sequel. I don't know when that one will be done because I just started it and I just started school so we'll see if I somehow manage to do anything with it this semester.

I would really, really appreciate it if you would all leave me reviews telling what I did well, what I did wrong, what I need to fix, what you liked/disliked, and so on and so forth. Thanks to those who have reviewed continuously and to everyone who added me to their author alerts/ story alerts. I appreciate it, but, like any other author, I need some feedback.

Thanks again and hopefully I can post the sequel soon. BTW, the sequel will be titled: _**During the Time of Harry Potter: Part One**_. I'll give you a small glimpse of a future chapter in _**During the Time of Harry Potter: Part One**_; it'll be in the next chapter I put up right after this one (in a few days or so). You can review that as well if you'd like. I would love to see what you're reactions will be. So far the story is so long that it needs to be broken up into parts; hence the _Part One_ in the title. I'm already on Chapter 57 and I'm only at the beginning of book 6. I might post character biographies after _**During the Time of Harry Potter**_ is completed so it doesn't spoil the story.

As for the prequel, I'm not sure what I'll title it and I haven't started it yet either, so I don't know how long it'll be. I pretty much have the layout for it all though. I know what my characters' childhoods were like and I will go into more of Voldie's and Alicia's past as kids together before and during their time at Hogwarts. It'll end at year six for Aurora because _**The Story **__**Before**__** the Story**_ started at year 7. Um… that's it. I'm going to go back to typing _**During the Time of Harry Potter**_ and bits of _**Andromeda**_. I'll have that preview chapter for the sequel up in about 2 days or so. I have a 3 day weekend so I can manage it.

Ciao!

-Siriusgrl88


	43. PREVIEW

!!!!PREVIEW!!!!

Ok, here goes. Disclaimer: Annalisa Dairine Black, Aurora Clementine Badeau, Conri Carmine Black, Rupert Severus Badeau (Lupin-Snape), Aberto Adriano Badeau, Alicia Doireann Badeau (nee Riddle), Timothy Durante Badeau, Alfred Cillain Badeau, Holly Caoimhe Badeau, Nicola Sorcha Badeau, Italia Isla Badeau, Thekla Sophia Badeau (nee Metaxas), Maximus Eligio Badeau, Alexander Fidel Badeau, Massimo Cillian Badeau, Dolores Maria Badeau (nee DaSilva), anyone else mentioned in my fanfics that aren't in Jo's books are (C) me :)

Pippa Nicole Lupin-LaVigne (C) Ashley :)

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, and anyone else whom you recognize from the books are (C) Jo Rowling. I'm sorry that it's so short but she has a lot of characters and so do I so if I listed them all, it would take up about half a page.

Enjoy and review!

* * *

A pretty, eleven year old girl with black hair and grey eyes darted up the aisle of the bookstore, a piece of parchment gripped in her hands. She was about to start her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry so she needed to find her school books. Her mother had left her in the bookstore for only a few minutes. Annalisa Dairine Black noticed many familiar faces in the store but she really needed to find her books instead of chatting with fellow students. Within twenty minutes, she was done and out the door with her books, a large grin plastered on her face. She looked around the street and finally caught sight of her mother.

Aurora Clementine Badeau was a beautiful woman indeed with her pale skin, rosy cheeks, full lips, 5'7" height, petite, slender yet curvy body; bone straight, mid-back length black hair with heavy bangs that hung just above her crystal blue eyes. And Annalisa definitely looked like her. Aurora was standing next to an extremely tall bloke with a wild mane of hair and beard that Annalisa recognized quickly as Hagrid, the Game Keeper from the school. She ran to her mother and Hagrid, calling out his name.

"Hagrid!" She then put her books down by her mother's feet and hugged Hargid's tree trunk sized leg. Hagrid laughed and Aurora sighed softly with a smile as Hagrid patted the top of Annalisa's head gently. Annalisa looked up at the very tall man and he smiled down at her. "Where have you been?"

"I 'ad to go get someone 'o'll be joining yeh at school this year."

"Really? Who?"

"Well, come and meet 'im!" And he blundered off to their right, Aurora and Annalisa following. They went over to Ollivander's Wand Shop and Hagrid pointed into the store; Aurora and Annalisa walked in and Mr. Ollivander smiled at them.

"Ah! Little Annalisa Black! Come to get your wand?" Annalisa nodded at him and seemed a bit unnerved by him, which reminded Aurora of the day that she had received her own wand; she gently touched the intricate carved handle of her holly wood, unicorn hair core wand that was in her jeans. Ollivander beckoned Annalisa forward and she obeyed quickly but a bit cautiously. "Let's try this one first…Hawthorn, dragon heartstring, 12 inches."

He handed Annalisa the wand and the boy to her left looked at her. She flicked the wand and a quill went flying towards Aurora's face. She shrieked and ducked; the quill hit the glass window behind her and then fell to the floor with a clatter. Annalisa looked at her mother in fright and apology but Aurora just smiled nervously at her. "Well, that one won't work…How about this one? Ebony, Phoenix talon, 15 inches…" Annalisa took this dark wand hesitantly from Ollivander but smiled as soon as the handle of the wand touched her palm and fingers.

She felt a warm, friendly tingling in her hand and she flicked the wand; making a burst of beautiful little birds stream from the tip of the wand. Ollivander smiled and nodded.

"That's the one!" he exclaimed and wrote down the purchase in a thick book sitting on his counter. Aurora patted Annalisa's shoulder and Annalisa beamed. She looked to her left finally and noticed the boy for the first time.

"Hello, I'm Annalisa Black! What's your name?" she introduced herself and Aurora looked down at the boy as she handed Ollivander the amount of money he needed for the wand. Aurora felt as if her heart had stopped in her chest, and her breath froze in her throat. His hair was just as disheveled and his face…he looked so much like James. And then Aurora saw his eyes; green…green like Lily's; the exact shade.

"Harry?" she whispered. Annalisa and the boy looked up at her in surprise. Aurora reminded herself to breath and she took in a deep breath, a small smile curving her lips. "Harry Potter. You look just like James…but you have Lily's eyes," she told him and he blinked at her.

"You knew my mum and dad?"

"Yes…very well, too. Your mum and I were best friends, Harry."

"Best friends?"

"Yes…this is Annalisa; my daughter. She's starting at Hogwarts this year too…I completely forgot that you were also of age. I'm Aurora, by the way; I'm your godmother."

"Godmother? I…You're…" Aurora nodded and smiled at him and he beamed at her and Annalisa.

"So this is Harry Potter, Mum? I've heard a lot about you and your parents, Harry. They were great people. Let's be friends!" Aurora laughed and patted Annalisa's head. "Do you have any other friends, Harry?"

"No…You'll be the first…"

"Really? Why?"

"My cousin Dudley didn't want anyone to be my friend…"

"You're Cousin Dudley? I've never heard of him…Mummy, is this Dudley person a wizard?"

"No. Dudley Dursley is very Muggle," Aurora answered.

"You know about Dudley?"

"I've met Dudley and Vernon once. Petunia and I were on good terms until she called Lily a…freak in front of me."

"She likes calling me that too…" Harry replied and Aurora frowned.

"Have they…mistreated you, Harry?"

"Not really…I've been to school and they fed me and clothed me."

"They never hurt you though, right?"

"Just Dudley."

"Hmmm…He'll get what's coming to him."

"Hagrid already gave him a pig's tail," Harry responded and they all turned towards Hagrid, who looked very sheepish.

"'Arry! Yer not supposed ter tell anyone!" Hagrid said and it was Harry's turn to look sheepish.

"Sorry, Hagrid; I didn't know," he apologized and Aurora laughed.

"Hagrid, I thought your wand was broken?" She gave him a knowing look and he waved her off. She grinned and then looked back down at the two children. "Well, let's go get some ice cream," she suggested and Harry nodded with Annalisa. All four of them left Ollivander's and went to the ice cream parlor just around the corner. Annalisa energetically told Harry as much as she could about the wizarding world with some help from Hagrid and Aurora. Harry was fascinated and hung on Annalisa's every word; and Annalisa seemed to really enjoy it.

"So…there _are_ centaurs?"

"Oh yes, but they're not very friendly. They won't hurt us because we're children but they wouldn't think twice about hurting Mum."

"Hey now…"

"Sorry, Mummy, but it's the truth." Aurora nodded and licked at her vanilla ice cream. Annalisa went on to tell Harry about goblins, elves, pixies, fairies, unicorns, and dragons. Aurora and Hagrid chatted a bit before she noticed Lucius Malfoy and his son. She frowned and looked away quickly. Hagrid had caught a glimpse as well and grunted.

"My mum has an Abraxan; his name is Aiden. He's really nice but he only let's Mummy ride him. Mum also has a cat/kneazle hybrid; her name is Angel and she's fiercely protective. Draco Malfoy went to pet her once and she clawed him! And then, Mum has an owl. Her name is Isis and she belonged to my grandmum before she belonged to my mum…"

"Speaking of pets…Happy Birthday, Annalisa," Aurora said with a smile as she gently placed a small tabby kitten in front of her. It mewed cutely and Annalisa squealed happily. She gently picked the kitten up and held her close. "What are you going to name her?"

"I…Harry…Any ideas?" Harry looked astonished that she would even ask for his opinion.

"I…um…well…What about…" he looked around and saw a store with a sign reading _Cleo's Beauty Shop _"…Cleo?"

"Ooooh! I love that! Cleo…" She kissed the kitten's head and it mewed at her, cuddling against her neck.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I don't have a gift for you right now…but I do have something for you; at Hogwarts," Aurora said sincerely and Harry nodded understandingly.

"That's alright," Harry said with a smile and Aurora suddenly felt terrible.

"I'll be right back," she got up and walked away, disappearing for a few moments. She came back about fifteen minutes later, grinning. "Here Harry. Happy Birthday!" She handed him a red woolen scarf, matching socks, mittens, and beanie. Harry took them excitedly.

"'Ere, 'Arry…" Hagrid said and placed a cage in front of Harry. A beautiful Snowy White owl sat in the cage, chirping happily. Harry looked almost overwhelmed. "An owl for yeh…and a bracelet for you, Miss Annalisa…" Hagrid placed a beautiful silver and sapphire bracelet in her hand and Aurora gave him a suspicious look.

"Did Mundungus sell that to you, Hagrid?"

"No…I bought it while traveling Romania."

* * *

There's your preview! It's early on in the series. This isn't the whole chapter, just a snippet of one. I hope you all like it. I'll see if I can get the first chapter up in a few days. Please review! Thanks. -Siriusgrl88 


	44. Just A Litte Notice

Just a little notice:

For those of you new readers, and even for those who've been around from the beginning, I'd like to say something about Sirius. The last review I got was about him and the person wasn't pleased with how I portrayed him by Ch. 2. If any of you don't like how I portrayed Sirius, you're going to have to get over it. One, it's my fanfiction and I can portray any of the characters anyway I'd like. I'd have to say that for the most part, the characters that are actually from the book have stayed relatively the same and I've really tried hard to accomplish that. And two, we don't know a whole lot about the Marauders and Lily. We know that they were bullies and deviants and mischievous. We know that James "matured" from his bullying ways by his seventh year and wooed Lily. So it's safe to say that Sirius could change as well and go from a "playboy" to a one-woman-man. And for the purpose of this story, he fell in love so it's not some "silly crush". Love can change people for the better. So that's my justification on that issue. Don't like how Sirius is portrayed in this story? Don't read it.

-Siriusgrl88


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